


Small Town Healing

by qtp2t



Category: Glee, Kurtbastian fandom
Genre: Completely AU (no Glee background), Daddy Kurt, Divorce, Friends to Lovers, Hardware Store, Healing, Hiding, I may have watched one too many Hallmark or Lifetime movies, M/M, Mention of past rape/non-con, Non-Graphic Violence, Sebastian has a past too, Selective Mute Child, Short Chapters, Starting Over, diabetic, friends - Freeform, injuries, mention of past domestic abuse, small town charm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25215856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qtp2t/pseuds/qtp2t
Summary: Kurt is on the run from his abusive soon-to-be ex-husband.  He finds himself in a small town on the other side of the country, where he's able to start a new life with his daughter and the healing power of this small town of amazing people...including one Sebastian Smythe.
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 278
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sentences in italics are spoken in French.

“Thanks for covering for me, Mel.” Sebastian stepped behind the counter, “Anything exciting happen while I was at lunch?” he smirked, knowing the answer would be ‘no’.

Mel rolled her eyes, “Like anything exciting _ever_ happens in this town. That’s why small town hardware stores are always high in demand for movie locations. We’re so jammed packed full of adventure. You know better than that, Sebby.”

He ignored her snark as he sighed, “I told you not to call me ‘Sebby’.”

She sassed, “And I told _you_ not to call me Mel.”

“You just don’t look like a Melissa. And I definitely don’t look like a Sebby.”

She rolled her eyes again, “Whatever.”

Sebastian grunted as he made himself busy straightening things behind the counter for the third time that day. “You know I hate the ‘whatever’ response.”

Mel smirked, “I know.”

He pointed at her, “You better watch it, before I fire you.”

“Whatever,” she giggled. “How are you feeling?”

It was his turn to roll his eyes, “I’m fine. No need to worry. Now go take your lunch before I change my mind about firing you.”

“Sure, Boss,” she strut away, and all he could do was shake his head.

A minute later, Sebastian looked down over the counter to see an adorable little girl with soft brown curls and big blue eyes looking up at him. He smiled at her, “Hi there.” He looked around, not seeing anyone with her, “Are you lost, sweetie?” He walked around the counter to crouch down in front of her. He couldn’t get over how beautiful her eyes were.

She didn’t answer, but he heard a crash from a nearby aisle, then someone calling, “Tessa! Tess!”

He looked down at the little girl, “Are you Tessa?” She didn’t answer, but he called out anyway, “I think she’s over here!”

A man with matching beautiful blue eyes came flying around the corner. His arm was in a cast that rested in a sling, but he hoisted the little girl up and wrapped his good arm around her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist. “Honey, please don’t do that. You can’t just walk away, okay? You have to stick right next to me all the time. Especially when aren’t holding my hand, okay?” She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Sebastian watched the man as he spoke to the little girl. He had the same beautiful blue eyes as the little girl, brown hair, nice build, and a five o’clock shadow that Sebastian wanted to touch. His jeans looked designer, but he was only wearing a white undershirt on top, with a blue Dodgers baseball hat. Sebastian also noticed what looked like the remnants of a busted lip.

This mystery man looked back at him shyly, “Um, thanks. Sorry. I, uh…” he looked back at the little girl, “I’m going to go pick up the stuff I dropped, then we’ll head out, okay? Do not leave my side.” She nodded as he set her down and took her hand.

“Can I help you?” Sebastian asked, following behind as they walked toward the aisle.

He shook his head, “That’s okay. Really.”

“Please,” Sebastian said. He jogged up ahead of them, finding the aisle that had a shopping basket on the ground, with merchandise spilled out of it. “You hold on to her, and I’ll take care of this, since you’re down to one good arm.” He had bent down to pick things up, but when he looked up at the man, his head was lowered.

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem.” He finished putting things in the basket, then stood, “Were you finished shopping, or was there anything else I can help you find?”

“This should get us started, thanks.”

“Okay then.” He started walking toward the cash register again. Once he got there, he began ringing up the items. “Are you new in town? I don’t recall seeing either of you before. That’s the blessing and the curse of a town as small as this. Everyone knows everyone.”

The man took a deep breath, like he was trying to decide what to say. Finally, he just nodded, “Yeah, we’re new here.”

Sebastian smiled, “Well, I’m Sebastian.” He looked at the little girl and winked, “And you are Tessa.” He looked at the man, “And you are?”

“Kurt.”

Sebastian nodded, “Nice to meet you, Kurt. So, uh, are you a Dodgers fan?”

Kurt frowned a little, as if he was confused, “No.”

“Just like the color blue?” Sebastian pointed to the hat as he put the last of the items in a bag.

“Oh. Um… Just needed a hat, I guess.”

“Okay,” Sebastian smiled, letting it go. He looked at the register, “Um, your total is $45.97.” 

Kurt took out his wallet and handed him a 50 dollar bill. After Sebastian handed him his change, he quietly said, “Thank you.”

“Any time. Thanks for your business. And welcome to Brookville, Kurt and Tessa. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

Kurt nodded a little, “You too.” He started to leave, but turned around. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought about clothing needs until now, “Um. Do...Is there a mall around here?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Nope. Closest mall is about an hour away.”

“Well, is there anywhere close that sells clothes?”

Sebastian nodded, “For you, your wife, or Tessa?”

“It’s just Tessa and I. We both need things.”

Sebastian had a funny feeling in his stomach, but he answered, “Well, there’s a few things available here and there around town for you. Mostly t-shirts and hunting gear. But not much for Tessa. You’ll have to drive to Harrison. Next town over. They have Target, Walmart, and a JCPenny. Your GPS should get you there.”

“Um…” Kurt looked down, “I...I don’t have a phone right now. Could you tell me how to get there?”

“Sure,” he got out a notebook from under the counter, and started writing down directions as Kurt and Tessa walked back over. He glanced up at Kurt again, “So, did you get into an accident?” he pointed to the broken arm.

Kurt answered quietly, “You could say that.”

Sebastian nodded, sensing that Kurt didn’t want to talk about it. He ripped the paper out of the notebook and handed it to him, “Let me know if you two need anything else as you get settled here. I’d be happy to help.”

Kurt nodded, “Thanks.”

~

Kurt followed the directions to Harrison that night. He bought Tessa and himself enough clothes to last at least a couple of weeks. They ate a fast food dinner in the car, then checked in to the Holiday Inn, which he figured was better than the motel just outside of Brookville, but cheaper than the nice Inn that was in town. Hotels usually require a credit or debit card, but he convinced the front desk clerk not to enter the debit card numbers into the system, but simply keep them written down. That way, he could pay by cash the next day, and not have to worry about a location of card use popping up in any bank statements. He had emptied his account anyway, so the debit card would have been declined.

He had picked up one of those free real estate magazines at the exit of the grocery store, and called a real estate agent who agreed to meet him next morning when they returned to Brookville. She agreed to meet him at the house he was interested in instead of her office. He knew what he wanted, and didn’t have time to waste, or the extra money to spend on hotels. After liking the house in person, and some phone calls on her end, she was able to convince the sellers to allow him to rent for one month, giving him time to take care of legally changing his name before having to sign any papers. Since he was paying rent in cash up front, they didn’t make him sign a lease. They all agreed to keep the reason for the delayed sale under wraps, and he gave no details other than the name change.

~

Sebastian turned the corner onto 3rd Street as he rode his bike to work. He immediately noticed Kurt shaking hands with Peggy, the realtor, then watched her go to her car and drive away. He stopped in front of the house as Kurt took a few bags from his car to the front porch of the small Victorian home.

“Good Morning! Need help?”

Kurt startled a bit, but seemed relieved when it was Sebastian. He shook his head, “No, thank you.”

“Hmm. No offense, but I don’t believe you.” He hopped off his bike, rested it against the picket fence, and grabbed a few bags, taking them to the porch. He winked and waved to Tessa, who was sitting on the porch quietly. She smiled shyly, but waved back. Kurt looked at him with a raised brow. He was surprised that Tessa seemed to like this stranger. He wished she would talk, but a wave was still a bit of an improvement. Sebastian smirked, until he noticed bruising on Kurt’s neck. His smile faded a bit, but he didn’t say anything, and made one more trip carrying bags. Finally he asked, “Do you not have boxes?” He looked around for a moving truck.

Kurt shook his head, “No.”

Sebastian nodded once the bags were all out of the car. He asked, “So you bought Old Man Grushman’s place?”

Kurt’s shoulders sagged, and sighed, “ _Please don’t be haunted. I really don’t want to go house hunting.”_

Sebastian’s eyes widened, then quickly schooled his expression. He smirked as he got back on his bike, “I’m in the blue house over on 5th Street if you need anything. Or you can stop by the shop. _And Mr. Grushman isn’t dead. He just finally moved into the nursing home._ ” He chuckled at the surprised expression on Kurt’s face as he rode away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian invites Kurt to a barbecue, where he meets more people who will change his life.

Sebastian didn’t see Kurt again for almost a week. Kurt and Tessa came back into the hardware store to buy some paint and supplies toward the end of the week. The two of them were standing in front of the wall of samples looking at colors, when Sebastian came around the corner and noticed them. 

“Hey! How’s the house?”

Kurt nodded a little, “Good. Old.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Yeah, but she sure does have potential. She’s got good bones.”

Kurt nodded, “I’m hoping.”

Sebastian looked at Tessa, “Are you picking a color for your room?” 

She smiled just a little bit, and nodded. Kurt looked at her and matched her grin. He was happy to see her start to show some emotion.

“What color do you want, Tess?” Kurt asked.

She pointed to the pink. Sebastian smiled, “Wait, is that for the kitchen?” She smiled a little more. “For your daddy’s bathroom?” She smiled even bigger and shook her head. “Is it for… the outside of the house?!” She giggled. 

Kurt smiled, but threw his hand over his mouth and had tears in his eyes. It had been so long since he had heard that sound. He laughed a little, then looked at Sebastian, who was watching him with a smile. He took a deep breath, “I guess we’ll take pink.” He smiled at Tessa, and she smiled back. He squeezed her hand.

Sebastian felt like Kurt needed a few minutes. Both to pick out color, and to settle whatever emotions he had running through him, “I’ll leave you to choose. Just let Mel or I know when you’re ready, and we’ll mix those up for you.” He paused, then added, “And I can drop them off at your house if you walked, or help you carry them to your car if you drove. It’s not the easiest thing to carry with one hand.”

Kurt nodded, “Thanks. We drove, but I would appreciate the help getting them to the car. We’re pretty much painting the whole house, so I’ll have a lot.”

Sebastian frowned, “That’s not going to be easy with one hand.”

Kurt frowned a little, looking down at his arm. He shrugged, “I guess I didn’t think this through.” He sighed a bit, feeling deflated, “I just want to make it feel like home. I can always try, and wait if it’s too much.” 

“Or I can help.”

Kurt looked a bit taken aback. “I…”

“I can bring some friends over. We can take turns keeping Tessa busy, and the house will be painted in no time. Even if it takes a couple of nights, it’s better than the week it will take you doing it one handed by yourself.”

Kurt looked torn. “I don’t know. I don’t know anyone here. That feels a bit... weird.”

“Well, it’s a good way to get to know people. It won’t be long until everyone knows you, and you know everyone.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he almost looked panicked, “Everyone?”

Sebastian could see the mix of emotions, so he gently said, “Yeah, but it’s not a bad thing. Everyone knows the basics about everyone else. We take good care of each other. Help each other out. If having strangers help you out is weird, then let's not be strangers. Come out to my friends Tony and Susan’s barbecue tonight. I can stop by and we can walk over together. They live on Jefferson, so you’d be on the way. You’ll meet them all eventually. They already know there’s a new family in town.”

Kurt nodded, “I have had several people bring us food as a welcoming gift,” He hesitated. “I can bring Tessa?”

“Yeah. Their son, Jack, is around Tessa’s age, and they have a daughter, Emma, who is a year or two older. There’ll be other kids there too. They will be thrilled you’re coming.”

“I really can’t avoid people here, can I?” It was more of a statement, really.

Sebastian chuckled, “Nope. Not unless you want to become a recluse, but you know, I think Tessa would be happier not being stuck inside all day, every day.”

Kurt sighed, “Yeah. Okay, we’ll go. What time will you be by?”

“5:30 sound okay?”

“Sure. Is everyone always this nice here?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Pretty much. Don’t try to fight it. I did when I first got here. They just wear you down, until you accept their love. Don’t resist. Accepting it earlier is much easier..”

Kurt smiled a little, “I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Trying is all we ask.”

~

Sebastian arrived at Kurt’s house at 5:30. He smiled when Kurt answered the door, and tried really hard not to stare. Kurt was just wearing olive colored chinos, and a navy t-shirt that stretched across his shoulders perfectly. Sebastian almost told him how nice he looked, but quickly stopped himself. After all, he wasn’t sure Kurt was even gay, although he had a feeling he was, or if he would think it was weird to have another man compliment him. Tessa came up and grabbed Kurt’s hand. She looked adorable in her new sundress and sandals, so Sebastian opted on complimenting her instead of Kurt.

“Well, don’t you look adorable? Are you ready to go make some new friends?”

She nodded and smiled a little shyly, but again didn’t say anything. 

The walk to the party had been comfortably quiet. Kurt was grateful that he didn’t feel he had to talk. He found himself nervously glancing behind him occasionally, but he felt pretty comfortable and safe with Sebastian for some reason. 

As soon as Kurt got to the backyard where everyone was gathered, he immediately felt like these people could be good friends. That scared him more than it comforted him, but he tried to push through those feelings and let himself enjoy the evening.

When everyone noticed them, they called out their greetings. Sebastian smiled, “Hey everyone. This is Kurt, and his daughter, Tessa.” Kurt nodded, and Sebastian realized that he didn’t know for sure that Tessa was Kurt’s daughter. He also realized he didn’t know a last name.

Susan smiled, “Welcome! It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Thank you. You too.” 

Tony shook his hand, “So Kurt and Tessa. Got a last name?” He playfully backhanded Sebastian, as he just neglected to tell them.

Kurt hesitated for a second, then put on a small smile, “Bisset.”

Sebastian quickly introduced everyone else. Mark, Blair, and their six year old triplets, Cole, Connor, and Cora. Blaire joked about what a bad idea it was to name them all a name that started with “co”. Claire and Bobby were next. Claire was pregnant, and just started showing the month prior. John and Annie were the next couple to be introduced. They had a daughter, Gwen, who was 17, and currently out on a date. 

Tony and Susan were the hosts for the evening. Their backyard was beautiful, with large trees, flowers, a playset, and strands of lights that would soon illuminate the space, allowing them to stay outside. The patio was full of furniture that allowed socialization, and a barbecue grill that Tony obviously loved. They were a sweet couple, and their kids Jack and Emma seemed nice too. Jack was 5, same as Tessa, and Emma was 6.

Kurt and Sebastian had both brought a bottle of wine, and Susan was now opening them. Jack and Emma came outside, and without hesitation, asked Tessa to play with them on the swingset. She smiled and went with them without a word. 

Mark smiled at Kurt, “So, Kurt, basic get-to-know-you questions. What do you do? Where are you from? Are you married?”

Kurt took a deep breath and tried to smile as best he could, “Well… I’m a writer. I’m from the midwest originally. And I am in the process of getting a divorce.”

“Well now I have a hundred more questions,” giggled Annie. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “No, Annie, he does not want to go out with your sister. Nobody does.” Kurt laughed, and Sebastian decided it might be his new favorite sound. 

“Just because _you_ wouldn’t, doesn’t mean _he_ wouldn't!” Annie pouted.

Blaire said, “Give Kurt time to be a hot bachelor in town. Sebastian might have some competition now.” 

Kurt looked at Sebastian with raised brows. Sebastian chuckled, “You can have all the women in town you want, Kurt. They are all yours.” Everyone laughed, and Kurt wondered what he was missing.

Kurt just shrugged, “I think I’m good, thanks. There’s only one girl for me.” He looked over toward Tessa and grinned. 

“She’s adorable,” Susan said. “She’s got your eyes. I’m assuming the curls are from her mom?”

Kurt shrugged with a smirk, “I suppose they are.”

“What did you do to your arm?” Bobby asked.

“Um...I was in an accident.” When he didn’t elaborate, Bobby just nodded. “So what about you guys? What do you all do?”

“I work at the hardware store,” Sebastian smiled. Kurt shook his head with a smirk.

“He _owns_ the hardware store,” Blaire stated. “He’s always selling himself short, and completely full of himself all at the same time. I have no idea how he does it.” Kurt chuckled. “I stay at home with the kids. Now that they’ll be in school full time in the fall, I might look for something part time. But they’re pretty much a full time job, so we’ll see,” Blaire answered with a shrug. 

“I own the insurance company in town. Hopewell Insurance,” Mark added.

“I teach second grade at the elementary school,” Susan smiled. 

“Town maintenance supervisor,” Tony said, raising his beer bottle.

John said, “Annie and I own Paradise Travel, and we both work as agents there. So do you have any books published?”

Kurt thought for a second about whether or not he wanted to answer that. Finally he nodded, “Yeah, I’ve had several published.” Everyone seemed surprised for some reason.

“Anything we might know?” Susan asked.

Kurt nodded, “Maybe.” He took another deep breath, and everyone glanced around at each other. Finally he said, “Okay, I’m going to be as honest as I can be right now, without divulging too much.” Everyone was quietly anticipating what he was going to say. “I need this town to be a refuge. I need it to be a safe hiding place for Tessa and I. That’s my number one priority. I can’t tell you where exactly I’m from, or what the name of any of the books I’ve written are, or even what my last name is. It _will_ be Bisset, once I get the paperwork finalized,” he added quietly. “I’m really sorry. I _can_ promise you that I’m not running because I did something illegal, and I’m not keeping Tessa from her mother, if that’s what you’re thinking. I hope that’s enough for you.”

“Of course it is, Kurt,” Sebastian sympathetically replied. 

“Of course it is,” Susan echoed. “You’re welcomed here no matter what the answers to those questions are. Just know we’re here for you and Tessa, okay?”

Kurt bit his lip and nodded, “Thanks.”

Once dinner was ready, Kurt made Tessa a plate full of things he knew she would eat. He took it over and set it in front of her at the little picnic table where the kids were getting all set up. He squatted down, “Are you having fun, Tess?” She smiled and nodded. He smiled too, “Good, sweetie. I’m glad.” He kissed her on the forehead.

One of the triplets said, “She don’t talk much.”

Kurt shook his head, “No, not at the moment.” He looked back at the boy, “Has she said anything at all?” The boy shook his head, and Kurt just sighed.

While Kurt was bent down talking to Tessa, Sebastian glanced over. Kurt’s shirt had lifted a bit in the back, and clear as day, Sebastian saw deep blue and purple bruising. He sucked in a breath as soon as he saw it. Tony looked to Sebastian right away, and followed his line of sight. Sebastian looked over to Tony with concern written all over his features. Tony then nodded toward the house.

When they stepped inside, door closed, Sebastian sighed, “Jesus, Tony. Did you see his back?” he started pacing a little and ran his hand through his hair.

Tony turned and said, “Yeah. I don’t think that’s all from an accident.”

Sebastian shook his head, “I don’t think so either. The day I met him, he still had a busted lip. It’s healed now, though. And I noticed bruising around his neck the next day. It wasn’t as bad as his back, but still.” He took a few steadying breaths, “But there’s nothing we can do except be here for him, right? I mean, what else can we do?”

“Nothing. Being there for him if he needs us is all we can really do. And hopefully this town can work it’s magic on him like it does everyone else.” He shrugged, “Worked for you.”

Sebastian gathered his emotions, settled his nerves, then they both headed outside again. 

Annie called out, “Seb, make a plate. Are you feeling okay?”

He gave her a look, and teased, “Yes, _Mom_. I’m fine. You all need to stop worrying.”

Kurt had heard Annie, and he really wanted to ask why they were worried, but he figured he didn’t have a right. Especially if they were willing to not push him for answers, he could do the same.

After dinner, they sat around and had some wine and beer. The conversation easily flowed, and Kurt was really enjoying himself. Just before it got dark, Tessa came up to him and reached up. It was past her bedtime, and he knew she had to be tired. He should take her home, but he didn’t want to leave. He was having a nice time for the first time in what felt like forever. He also didn’t want to walk home alone, and asking Sebastian to leave early was out of the question. So, he reached down with one arm, and pulled Tessa into his lap. She laid her head on his chest.

He started to rock her, but then thought he better have her go to the bathroom first. “Come on, sweetie, let's go potty before you sleep.” He looked to Susan, “Can we use your restroom?”

“Absolutely. It’s the first door on the right once you go through the kitchen.”

“Thanks.” Kurt picked her up as he stood, and John opened and closed the sliding glass door for him.

Once he was inside, Tony said quietly, “He wasn’t in an accident. He has bruises on his back. Seb said he had a busted lip and bruises on his neck before.”

“Jesus, Tony. You could wait until he goes home before you start talking about him,” Sebastian huffed with a frown.

“I know, Seb. Sorry. I just want to make sure everyone is as nice as they can be, and that we really are here for him if he needs it.”

“Of course we will be,” Mark said. “Just continue to be yourselves. It’ll all work out.”

When Kurt came back out, he sat with Tessa in his lap and she quickly fell asleep. Everyone continued chatting about life in general. Finally, Claire said, “Kurt, you and Tessa will have to come to the Fourth of July Spectacular. We may be a small town, but we know how to celebrate.”

He nodded, “Is it a parade?”

She nodded, “There’s a parade, then a festival after. Fireworks show included.” 

“That sounds nice,” Kurt agreed. 

By the end of the night, Sebastian spilled the beans about Kurt needing help painting. They all quickly agreed to help. Annie even said, “Gwen will watch the kids in the back yard or something too. We’ll be finished in no time.”

“Well, normally, I can be pretty stubborn. But this time, I’m going to accept the help. I don’t think my paint job will be so great with one hand if I do it all by myself, and I really want to get settled.”

On the way home, Kurt tried to carry Tessa. Half a block away, Sebastian sighed, “I can carry her if you want. That can’t be easy.”

Kurt hesitated. He glanced at Sebastian, “Would you mind?” 

“Not at all.” They stopped walking, and Sebastian gently grabbed her. She rested her head on his shoulder, still fast asleep, and they continued to walk. 

“Can I ask you something?” Kurt asked.

“Sure.”

“I’m sorry if it’s none of my business, and I probably shouldn’t ask… But why was everyone worried about if you were feeling okay tonight? Are you sick?”

Sebastian smiled a little, “I’m diabetic. I’ve had some complications in the past, and they just worry.”

“Oh.” 

“Can I ask _you_ something?”

Kurt hesitated, “Well, I can’t promise I’ll answer, but you can ask.”

Sebastian nodded, “Okay. You said you aren’t keeping Tessa from her mother. Does that mean that she knows where you two are?”

Kurt hummed, debating on how to answer that, if he even wanted to answer at all. Finally, he settled with, “Tessa’s biological mother was an egg donor, and she was born via surrogate.”

Sebastian nodded, trying to take all of that in, “Okay, but that doesn’t really answer my question.”

“Sure it does.”

Sebastian frowned and shook his head, “Not really. I mean, you said you’re getting a divorce, so…”

“Mhmm,” he paused. He sighed and mumbled, “God, I hope this doesn’t cause a problem…” He paused again, then blurted it out, “I’m getting a divorce from my husband.”

Sebastian stopped walking, his eyes wider than before. Kurt sighed again, “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. Is that going to be a problem here? Should I move now, while the getting is good?” He was getting upset, and Sebastian’s lack of reaction or words was making it worse. “Hand Tessa over, we’ll walk ourselves home.” When Sebastian made no move, he started to reach for Tessa. 

“No. Please,” Sebastian stepped back a little and put his hand on Tessa’s back.

Kurt frowned, “Don’t,” he hissed. “Let me have my daughter.”

Sebastian spoke quietly and gently, trying not to wake Tessa, “No, Kurt, you don’t understand. You being gay isn’t a problem. _At all_. I had my suspicions. And my...hopes.”

Kurt frowned deeper, “What are you talking about?”

Sebastian started walking again, nodding for Kurt to walk with him. “Well, you know how I said you could have all the women in town?”

Kurt nodded as he continued to frown, “Yeah.” Sebastian waited for the thought process to work itself out. Finally it dawned on him, “Oh...OH, you’re…?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Gay. Yes.”

“And...and everyone knows? Your friends? People in town?”

“My friends definitely do. And I’m pretty sure the town knows. After turning down multiple offers of being fixed up, or asked out, people have almost stopped asking. No one gives me a hard time. A few might not love it, but at least they keep their mouths shut about it.”

Kurt nodded, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Sebastian shook his head, “No one serious since I moved here five years ago.”

Kurt thought for a few minutes, “You said you suspected...hoped… I, I can’t…”

Sebastian stopped again, and Kurt stopped, turning to look at him shyly. Sebastian nodded, “I know, Kurt. I know you aren’t even divorced yet, and I’m guessing things weren’t pretty. I highly doubt you got your injuries from an accident, and frankly, that pisses me off beyond belief. I know you aren’t ready to date. It’s only been a couple of weeks, is my guess. But we can be friends, right? And when you are ready, _if_ I’m still single,” he winked, “then maybe a date wouldn’t be so bad. Would it?”

Kurt smiled, “No, not so bad. I was afraid I was reverting to my old ways of being attracted to straight men. So this is a bit of a relief.”

Sebastian chuckled, “You just admitted to finding me attractive.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Kurt smirked, “I may be emotionally unavailable right now, but I’m not blind, Sebastian.” Sebastian laughed. Kurt continued after a minute, “And you’d be okay with Tessa? She’ll always be my first priority.”

“Of course she would. And yes. I love kids. I’m to the point in life where kids are a bonus, not a burden.” He glanced at Kurt, “Seriously, no pressure Kurt. It could be months from now, or years from now, or never. Let’s just see where this friendship takes us, okay?”

Kurt nodded, “That sounds nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind comments and kudos are so appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt tells about his past, and how he ended up in Brookville.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning... Talk of past rape/non-con, and abuse. I tried not to be too descriptive, but if you're extra sensitive, read with caution. Those of you know my other work, will not find this descriptive at all.

The very next afternoon, Kurt had a house that was completely empty of furniture, but filled with paint cans and people.

“You have zero furniture?” Bobby asked as he came in.

“Pretty much. Tessa and I are sharing an air mattress right now. I wanted to paint, then add furniture. Less mess that way. We’ve spent a few days deep cleaning and prepping.”

“Hmm. Makes sense, I guess. But you didn’t bring any furniture with you at all?” Bobby just wasn’t getting it.

Kurt shook his head, “We left in a hurry.” He left it at that. Sebastian walked past Bobby and whacked him upside the head.

Claire had helped prep the rooms with tape, but couldn’t handle paint fumes without feeling nauseous, so she hung out in the backyard with the kids and Gwen. Kurt looked out the window and smiled as he watched Gwen teach Tessa how to jump into a moving jump rope.

He turned to Annie and Smiled, “Gwen seems really good with the kids. Tessa seems to really like her.”

“Thanks,” Annie smiled. “Gwen loves kids. She babysits, too, if you ever need her. She wants to be a teacher. Susan keeps discouraging her.” She made a face that made Kurt chuckle.

Susan rolled her eyes, “I’m not discouraging her. I just want her to realize what teaching is really like. It’s not about playing with the kids. It’s a lot of state mandated bullshit and a TON of work. She needs to be aware of that, and choose wisely.”

Kurt asked, “Are the schools here good? Tess will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.”

Susan nodded, “They are. We have high test scores, and the teachers and kids are friendly. Plus she’ll have me there. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks. It’s going to be hard on me when she starts, so that will make me feel better.”

~

Kurt was helping John in his bedroom when Sebastian came in to ask a question, “Kurt, do you want me to paint the inside of Tessa’s closet, or leave it cream, like it is now?”

He turned to look at Sebastian, “Mmm, I think-” Suddenly there was a crash from downstairs, and the terror in Kurt’s eyes broke Sebastian’s heart. His eyes widened, and scrambled backwards until his back hit the wall behind him. He sucked in a breath, then closed his eyes tight. The expression on his face looked pained.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Sebastian soothed as he walked toward Kurt. “It’s okay. It was just the ladder. Bobby probably knocked it over.” He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around Kurt and comfort him. He and John exchanged worried glances. 

Kurt opened his eyes and nodded, trying to steady his breathing quickly as he went to the window to make sure Tessa was okay. She was playing with Gwen, Cora, Jack, and Emma, completely unfazed. He nodded, “Okay.” He glanced at Sebastian and John, “Sorry.” He wasn’t embarrassed, but he felt bad for probably making them feel uncomfortable. 

“It’s okay, Kurt,” John said softly.

Sebastian nodded, “Like we said, we’re here for you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Kurt shook his head, “Not right now. Thanks.”

~

Once Sebastian was finished with Tessa’s room, he started to head to the kitchen, only to find Kurt sitting on the stairs. He sat down next to him, “Are you doing okay?”

Kurt didn’t look up, but nodded, “Yeah. I’m just kind of wondering when I’m going to crash. One of these days, I’m just not…” he sighed, “Never mind.” He ran his hand down his face, then closed his eyes.

“Hopefully there’s no crashing involved. Hopefully everything just slows down and falls into place. But, if you do crash, you have us as a safety net. And if worse comes to worse, we can be here to help pick up the pieces.”

Kurt leaned his head against the banister, “If worse comes to worse, there will be no pieces to pick up.”

“I’m so sorry, Kurt. We’ll do everything we can to help. I promise.”

“I appreciate that you are all trying. When I left, I figured I’d be on my own for years. It’s nice to not feel completely isolated. It’s pretty amazing, actually.” He couldn’t believe he was so lucky to have a group of people so willing to help. They barely knew him, yet here they were.

Sebastian stood up, turning toward him a little, “I’m glad we can help. It’s nice having you and Tessa around.” Kurt smiled a little, so Sebastian counted that as a win. 

“Sebastian! Come eat a snack!” Claire called from the bottom of the stairs, not realizing he was around the corner, a few steps up. 

He leaned over the banister, “Stop worrying. I was on my way down.” He looked back at Kurt, “You good?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah. Go eat.” Sebastian playfully rolled his eyes and headed downstairs.

~

By the time dinnertime rolled around, the upstairs rooms were all painted. They washed up while Kurt ordered pizzas. He had beer, soda, and water in the fridge. He had found some old folding lawn chairs in the garage. That, combined with some camping chairs Bobby had in his truck, and Mark had in his car, made it so everyone had somewhere to sit.

“I really need to get some furniture,” Kurt mumbled. He looked around at everyone, “Where’s the best place around here to buy furniture? I need it delivered, obviously.”

Blaire said, “Bond Furniture is nice. They have just about everything. It’s not the cheapest, though. Not terribly expensive, either, I guess. You could always order things online, like from Wayfair or something.”

Kurt shook his head, “I can’t until our names are changed officially, and I get new cards. I need a place where I can go in and pay in cash. I’m just getting the basics. I can add things gradually after that.”

After the kids finished their pizza, Gwen took them outside to play. She had run home after her first slice and grabbed her old spray toy that connected to the garden hose. She had the kids change into bathing suits, then they were out the door with full bellies and smiling faces.

Kurt watched them go with a small smile. He turned back and listened to the conversation some of the adults were having, before he completely zoned out. Thoughts of what he had been through swirled in his mind. 

After a few minutes, Sebastian squatted down next to Kurt and nudged his leg. He spoke quietly, “Hey. Are you okay?”

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts, “Yeah. I think I need to talk about it though. Would that be okay?” He had tears in his eyes, and again, Sebastian just wanted to hold him.

“Of course,” Sebastian whispered. “Do you want to talk to everyone, or do you want to just tell me? Whatever you want to do is fine. We’re all here for you.”

Kurt nodded, “I think I need to tell everyone. Hopefully there are some things you guys can help me with.” 

Sebastian nodded, “Okay. Whenever you’re ready.” he quickly threw away the garbage, then sat down. 

As soon as he was in his seat, Kurt asked everyone, “Is it okay if I share some personal things?”

They all said yes, or nodded. Susan added, “You can tell us whatever you want, whenever you want.”

Kurt nodded and looked down, “Thanks. Um, well, you know I’m getting a divorce. But, I lied about being in an accident. My husband caused these injuries. Soon-to-be ex-husband.” He paused and waited for that to sink in. 

To his surprise, the women looked empathetic and sad, and the men looked like they wished the ex was in the room right now, so they could take care of karma themselves. None of them seemed phased by the fact that he just told them he was gay. 

Sebastian however, had his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands, with his fingers splayed through his hair. He was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He had a feeling that was how Kurt got his injuries, but he had hoped that he was wrong, and hearing it come straight from Kurt was hard. When he looked up, he had tears in his eyes that matched Kurt’s, “Please tell me he didn’t touch Tessa.” That brought everyone back, and all eyes went to Kurt again.

Kurt shook his head, “No. He tried, but I stepped in and took the brunt of his anger. I would have killed him before I ever let him touch her.” 

Sebastian released a long breath, then leaned back in his seat, “I’m so sorry, Kurt.”

Kurt asked, “Can I ask you all to promise me not to let anything I tell you leave this room? I’m still going to keep some things to myself, but if some of it got out, and people started to investigate, or post things to social media about me, it could lead him right to me. I can’t have that.” With a resounding promise not to say anything, Kurt continued, “I used to be in theater when I was younger. I was even on Broadway once.” Everyone looked surprised. “I met Dan doing a show. He was on the crew, and he was so charming. It's almost like he had me under a spell. Whatever he wanted,” Kurt added quietly. “We dated for a couple of years, got married, and then he asked me to quit the stage.” Everyone frowned a bit. “And I did.” Kurt looked so sad, and it broke Sebastian’s heart. 

“I had always written stories. It was just a hobby, really. But after leaving the theater, I focused on it more. I had my first book published pretty quickly. That made him mad too. I don’t think he liked when I was successful. That’s why he asked me to quit theater after I made it to Broadway. Well, to distract me from writing, he said he wanted to have a baby. Start a family. I followed right along, quite excitedly, because I had always wanted kids. So we both donated sperm, used an egg donor, and hired a surrogate. When it was obvious that Tess was mine, that made him even angrier. He started getting even more short tempered. He started fights and started putting down everything I did, from the way I cleaned the kitchen, to how I held Tess.... But then when Tessa became a toddler, and started getting into everything, and I got another book deal even with the “distraction” of her. That made things get even worse. He would throw things, scream, raise his hand like he was going to hit me. But he never did. So I stayed. I wasn’t happily married. But, again, with the spell he had me under... It was like I couldn’t go. I told myself it was growing pains for our little family.”

Kurt took a drink and then pushed forward, “About 6 months ago, Tessa accidentally broke a vase in the living room. He didn’t even like the stupid thing, and made fun of me for buying it. But when she broke it, she cried. He was already so upset that week because I had gotten my third book deal. He got out of his chair and marched toward her. I was terrified. I knew he was going to hit her. I dropped what I was holding and ran in front of him and told him to stop. He punched me, and I fell to the ground, where he continued to kick me.” A tear fell. “Tess saw all of it. She hasn’t spoken since that day. Not a word. And until we ended up here, she didn’t even smile.” He choked back a sob, “Maybe this town really is magical. She’s smiled more in the last week than she had in six months.”

Mark asked, “Have you been on the run for six months?”

Kurt shook his head, “No. I called the police that night. Dan took off for a while, not wanting to deal with the police.”

“What did the cops do?” Claire asked. 

“Well here’s the thing about being gay,” Kurt said, his voice suddenly a lot colder, “It’s a lot harder to prove, or get sympathy, for domestic violence when it’s two men. Tessa wouldn’t talk to them. Dan was gone. So it was just words coming out of my mouth, going up into the air, and disappearing.” 

“Jesus,” Sebastian said. He got up and looked out the front window, hoping that whatever he saw would help take away the images he was seeing in his head.

Kurt said, “I had the locks changed, and put the house on the market. Filed for a divorce. He wouldn’t sign, though. I did the only thing I could think of, which may not have been the best idea, but I was desperate. I tricked him into signing them.”

“How did you do that?” Annie asked.

“I had a ton of paperwork that I needed him to sign so that I could sell the house. I added the divorce papers into the mix. He was signing everywhere there was an “X”, and he didn’t even look at what he was signing.”

Sebastian huffed out a short, breathy, laugh and shook his head. 

“He found out though, about a week and half ago. To say he was pissed was an understatement. He came to our apartment and literally busted down the door.”

“Oh god,” Blaire said, covering her mouth with her hand. Sebastian turned to look at Kurt with wide eyes.

“He attacked me. Raped me…” the tears started flowing.

Susan asked, “Kurt, did you go to the hospital? A rape kit could have proven-”

“No,” he shook his head. “It was… He hit me. I yelled for Tessa to go to her room and stay in there with Bunny, her favorite stuffed animal, until I came to get her. She was a good girl and did what she was told. But as she was walking away, he started…” He cried, “Anyway, I h-had to let h-him,” he sobbed. “I said ‘no’. Begged him not to. But he-he said if I didn’t, he would take from her what I wouldn’t give h-him. S-so I didn’t fight him anymore. I let him take what he w-wanted.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. 

Sebastian went to him, knelt down in front of his chair, tears running down his face, “Kurt…”

Kurt looked at him, “I’m d-damaged g-goods, Sebastian.”

“No,” Sebastian cried as he shook his head. “No, Kurt, you’re not.” He put his hand on Kurt’s knee, and Kurt immediately melted out of the chair and into Sebastian’s arms. He didn’t know why. It was like the offer of a safe haven that he couldn’t say ‘no’ to. It was magnetic. Sebastian held him, rocking him slightly. He mumbled into his hair, “I’m so sorry, Kurt. I’m so sorry.”

Kurt cried in Sebastian’s arms for a few minutes. Everyone cried right along with them. Finally Kurt took some steadying breaths, “H-he punched me during. And he choked me until I passed out. W-we had been in the kitchen when he...It must have been a miracle that I woke up in time. I saw him start to go toward Tessa’s room. It took all m-my strength, but I took a frying pan, and I hit him in the head, knocking him out.” He took a cleansing breath, “I grabbed Tessa, her Bunny, my computer, and wallet... and we left. I’ve never gone back.”

“You just drove straight here?” John asked.

Kurt sat on the floor, but didn’t move far from Sebastian, and Sebastian kept a gentle hand high on Kurt’s back. He was much calmer as he shook his head, “No. We headed east for about an hour. I went to a hospital that was further from home, so I wouldn’t see him if he went to one too. He had broken my arm. I have a lot of bruises all over. He basically beat me while he forced himself on me. But I was alive, and had my Tessa, so I had to focus on keeping us safe. After the hospital, I went to the bank and emptied my savings and checking accounts. I went to a car dealership, traded in my car for a different one. Stopped at a truck stop, bought a hat and sunglasses for both Tess and I. I bought a flashdrive, loaded my current book I’m writing onto it, and ditched the computer. Then, I headed west. I thought that if he figured out what hospital I went to, or if somehow he tracked my car, or knew I sold it, he would be thrown off by it all being east of home. I drove the long way around our home town, and kept going for two days. When I crossed into Colorado, I stopped at a rest stop, found a map, put my finger in a spot that looked like it was in the middle of nowhere, looked at the name of the town, and that became our destination. So here we are.”

It was quiet for a minute. Then John said, “I don’t understand why you had to ditch the computer.”

“Because knowing Dan, he probably had it bugged or something. He’s very untrusting. Same with car. That’s why I didn’t even bring my phone with me.” He cried a little more, “All my pictures.”

“Is there someone you can contact that you trust? Maybe have them go get your phone for you? And anything else you might want?” Blaire asked.

“I’m sure he’s taken everything already.” He paused, then said, “I can’t let him find us. And if he does, we’ll need protection, like a security system. But I can’t buy anything like that without a bank account and debit or credit cards. And to do that, I need to change my name first. I need a lawyer, but I don’t know that I can just pick up a phone book and call some random person and trust them. Dan can be very intimidating and persuasive when trying to get what he wants. I need someone who I know won’t budge with any threats. Do you guys know anyone I can trust? Someone who will help us stay hidden?”

Everyone looked at Sebastian. He nodded, “Yeah. I know someone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE kind comments. Thank you all for be so kind in the first two chapters. Please let me know what you think! Kind comments and kudos are SO appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Surprisingly, the entire interior of the house was painted in one day. It’s amazing what you can get done with nine painters and two babysitters. 

On Sunday morning, Kurt was a bit startled when he heard a knock at the door. He looked over to Tessa, who was happily laying on her belly, coloring in her new coloring book, “Stay there, Tess.” She looked up and nodded.

When he looked through the peephole, he smiled a little. Sebastian was on the other side, holding up a bag and smiling. He opened the door, “Good morning.”

Sebastian smiled, “Morning! I come bearing gifts.” He handed Kurt the shopping bag.

Kurt pulled the handles apart to look inside, while simultaneously stepping aside, “Come in.” He pulled a tube out of the bag, “What is this?”

“Arnica 35 Ointment. It’s for bruising,” Sebastian answered, his voice soft. Kurt looked up at him with something in his eyes that Sebastian couldn’t quite interpret. “As long as it has at least 20% Arnica in it, it’s supposed to relieve and heal bruising faster than letting them heal naturally. This has 35%.”

“Sebastian…”

“And the box is a Ring doorbell camera. I know it’s not a security system, but it should make you feel a little better until you’re able to get one. I know you don’t have a phone, but I saw that you have a new computer. You can monitor the camera using a computer, too, so I just thought…”

Kurt was staring at him with that same look in his eyes. Finally he nodded, “Thank you. That was unbelievably thoughtful.”

“I just want you two to get settled and feel, and  _ be _ , safe.” 

Kurt nodded, still staring, and completely awed, “Thank you, Sebastian.”

“You’re welcome. What you can’t see in the bag, are my services. I’m going to install the camera for you, if you don’t mind. I figured it might take two good hands,” he shrugged.

Kurt chuckled a little, “That would be nice. Thanks. Can… can I ask for your help with this, too?” he held up the ointment. “I won’t be able to reach the majority of my bruising, and I’d rather Tessa not see them. I’ve purposefully been wearing a shirt around her at all times.”

“Of course,” Sebastian nodded. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Kurt couldn’t have been happier with that response. Both the gifts, and the response, were all about his comfort. And whether he knew it or not, Sebastian had shown Kurt more love in the past 48 hours than he had been shown for years by anyone other than Tessa.

“Um, we were just about to go furniture shopping today. Would you like to join us?”

“As much as I love shopping for anything- and I really do- I’m scheduled to work today. How about I come back after work and install the doorbell? You’ll probably be home by then, since Bond’s has the same Sunday hours. Is 8ish too late?”

Kurt nodded, “No. That sounds good. Do you have time to help with this before you go?” He held up the ointment.

“Yeah. Where…” Sebastian wasn’t sure how to proceed. 

Kurt jerked his head, “Let’s go into the living room. Tessa in the dining room.” Sebastian nodded and followed Kurt. “I can get all the places I can reach, but there are some places on my back that I can’t.” He handed the ointment to Sebastian. As he did, they looked each other in the eyes. Kurt nodded, “Are you ready?”

Sebastian nodded, “Are you?”

Kurt nodded his answer and turned around. He lifted his shirt up to his shoulders, and Sebastian immediately realized that, no, he was not ready. Not in the slightest. But ready or not, this beautiful man was trusting him. He was trusting him in his home. He was trusting him to touch him. He was trusting him to help. So Sebastian took a deep breath and opened the tube, squirting some onto his fingertips.

“I know it’s bad,” Kurt said quietly.

“It is, Kurt. Really bad.” He gently started to rub the ointment onto the large bruise in the middle of his back. “I’m so sorry you went through all of that.”

“I’d do it all again if it meant keeping Tessa safe,” Kurt spoke quietly and had his head down. 

Without thinking, Sebastian spoke just as quietly, “I’d go through it all myself if it meant keeping you  _ both _ safe.”

Kurt closed his eyes and let those words sink in as Sebastian continued to gently rub the ointment in. How could it be that someone he’s known a week could say something so...He couldn’t even think of a word to describe it.

Sebastian frowned, noticing several sets of four small bruises in a row, that seemed to be either on their own, or part of a larger bruise. As he ran his fingers over them, he realized that they were from knuckles. He ran four of his fingers over them gently, trying to replace the hate, with caring. 

Once he was finished, he blew on the ointment a bit, trying to get it to dry. The corners of his mouth curled up a little when he noticed the shiver it caused Kurt. He gently reached up and grabbed Kurt’s shirt, and pulled over his back. 

When Kurt turned around, he seemed shy. He said, “Thank you for the ointment. And for helping me apply it.”

Sebastian handed him the tube, “You’re welcome.” After a pause, he continued, “Okay, you two have fun shopping. I’ll see you around 8.”

Kurt nodded, “See you then.”

~

When Kurt opened the door to Sebastian later that evening, he smiled and said, “I have some furniture!”

Sebastian raised his brows, but smiled, “On a Sunday? Wow.”

They walked in and sat on Kurt’s new couch, “I know. I was surprised too. Not all of it is here yet, but when I went in and told them that I would basically be filling a house, word spread to Mr. Bond, who was in the back doing paperwork. He came out and asked if I was staging a house to sell. I told him no, and that we had just moved here, but we weren’t able to bring anything with us. I think we pulled at his heart strings a little. He called his nephews, who works for him, and had them deliver the couch and beds so we didn’t have to sleep on the air mattress again. He was really sweet. I think he’s in love with Tessa.”

Sebastian smiled, “It’s hard not to be.” There was that look in Kurt’s eyes again that Sebastian couldn’t quite figure out. He cleared his throat, “The couch is comfy. Was it easy to pick out?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Since we didn’t have to match any preexisting pieces, I basically looked through their showroom ‘rooms’ and picked the room I liked best and ordered all of it. The rest will be here tomorrow. After they delivered the three main pieces, we headed to Harrison and got a tv, some new bedding, pillows, and some actual dishes. No more paper.” 

Kurt was smiling and excited as he spoke, and Sebastian loved every second of it. It was the first time he had seen Kurt this excited. 

“Was Tessa excited to pick out bedding and get her room set up?”

Kurt nodded, “She was. She picked out the cutest stuff at Target. It’s white with colorful patterns and llamas. When I put her to bed, it was fresh out of the dryer, and she snuggled into it and went right to sleep.”

Sebastian smiled, “I’m sure it makes her very happy to get settled into her own space that she helped decorate.” He paused a beat, then asked, “Did you get all the new stuff into the house, or do you still need stuff brought in?”

Kurt shook his head, “We managed. It took quite a few trips. I’ve been washing our bedding and dishes since we got home. I’m exhausted,” he chuckled. 

“I’m sure you are. Let me get this installed, so you can go crash in your new bed. I’m sure you’ve been looking forward to it. I just need you to download the Ring app on your computer.”    
“Sure,” Kurt got up and got his laptop and the Ring doorbell sat back down. 

As he was downloading the app, Sebastian took everything out of the box, and double checked the instructions. While he was installing it next to the front door, Kurt pulled his sheets out of the dryer and went upstairs to put them on the bed. What he didn’t anticipate was how hard it would be to do with one hand. Tessa had helped with her bedding, but he had to do his by himself. 

He sighed, looking at his failed attempt. Turning on his heels, he headed downstairs. He leaned against the doorframe as Sebastian was finishing. He shyly asked, “Can I ask for another favor?”

“Sure,” Sebastian looked up from what he was doing, “What do you need?”

“I tried to put my sheets on, but I failed. Maybe I’m just too exhausted.”

Sebastian smiled, “Sure, I can help with that.” He clicked the doorbell into the mount, “I think this is all set. Why don’t we test the camera, then I’ll help with your sheets, so you can go to sleep.”

“That sounds great. Thank you so much...For everything, Sebastian.”

Sebastian smiled softly, “It’s my pleasure.”

~

Once they were upstairs, Kurt asked, “So tell me about this lawyer you said you were going to call today. How do you know him?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, and Kurt momentarily wondered if this lawyer friend was an ex-boyfriend. He wondered why his stomach felt funny at the thought. His worries were banished when Sebastian answered.

“His name is Oliver. He’s my brother.”

“Oh! Did he seem willing to help?” Kurt bit his lip, anticipating the answer.

“A little too willing. But yes. I need to talk to you about that before you meet with him.” Sebastian finished putting a pillow in a pillowcase, tossed it to the top of the bed, then looked at Kurt again, “But we’ll save that for later. You need sleep.”

As Kurt walked Sebastian to the door, he thanked him again. 

Sebastian smiled, “It’s no problem, Kurt. Really. Would you like me to stop by in the morning to help you with the Arnica again? I’ll be headed to the shop around 8:30.”

“That would be great. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

They said their goodbyes, and Kurt quickly fell asleep wrapped in his fresh sheets with a smile on his face.

…………………….

  
  


All of Kurt and Tessa’s furniture arrived the next morning, not long after Sebastian had left for work. It didn’t take long to set it all up, since there was nothing to work around, and no other small nick nacks or clutter. 

Once the delivery men left, Kurt and Tessa started putting some of her clothes in her new dresser. When they finished, they moved to Kurt’s bedroom, where Kurt let Tessa play a game on the computer while he worked on getting his clothes situated. 

Once they were finished upstairs, they headed to the living room to work on setting up the new tv. Kurt was messing with the wires when he turned to Tessa, “How do you like the new living room, Tess?” She smiled and gave a thumbs up. 

He returned her smile, “The couch is comfy, isn’t it?” She just nodded. 

He was so happy that since their arrival in Brookville she had been smiling a lot more. He smiled a little, thinking of how it first started to appear when Sebastian came into their lives. But regardless, he was determined to get her to talk again. Her therapist that she had been seeing before they were on the run had said to do things like asking her questions, but not to push her for a verbal answer. They also had told Kurt that sometimes having a pet was good therapy. Now that they were getting settled, he was thinking maybe they could get a dog. It wouldn’t hurt for protection, either. 

Once he finished hooking the tv up, he tested it. Local channels were all he could get until their name changes were complete. He couldn’t even rent DVDs without a card. But it was better than nothing.

“Tess, I think we deserve a reward for all of our hard work the last few days. Do you want to go down to that diner we saw? Maybe get some ice cream after lunch?”

Tessa nodded excitedly and ran to get her shoes. 

Kurt chuckled, “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, then, huh?”

~

Mid-morning, Sebastian was helping a man choose some pipes that would work for an open concept shelving unit he was building. He escorted him to the counter so that Mel could ring him up. He was just walking away when he heard a very familiar voice.

“This place is as charming as ever.”

Sebastian froze in his tracks, then slowly turned around, “What are you doing here, Oliver?”

“Is that any way to greet family?” Oliver frowned. 

Oliver Smythe was just a tad shorter than Sebastian. He had a similar build, sandy dark blonde hair, and green eyes that were the same shade as Sebastian’s, but didn’t quite hold the same beauty. Even strangers could tell they were siblings.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and went to give his little brother a hug, “You know what I meant.”

“Well, when my estranged brother calls and tells me he needs my help, I just  _ had _ to come and see what the issue was.”

“I’m not estranged, Ollie. I just don’t… bend over backwards.”

“How are you feeling, bro?” Oliver questioned with a raised brow.

“I’m fine. It is getting close to lunch, though. Care to join me, since I’m assuming you won’t go until you know everything you want to know?” Sebastian gave an indignant look, and Oliver just grinned.

He smirked the classic Smythe smirk, “Lunch it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind comments and kudos mean the world to me! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt meets Oliver and finds out a little more about Sebastian's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All words in italics are spoken in French.

Kurt and Tessa decided that since it was such a nice day, they would walk to the diner in town. As soon as they entered Mama J’s a woman behind the counter smiled wide. The perfect word to describe her was “jolly”. She was a plump woman, probably in her mid to late 50’s. She had the most warm and welcoming smile that crinkled her dark skin around her bright eyes. Kurt instantly fell in love with her a little. 

“Well, hello there! I was wondering when you two would make it in to see me.”

Kurt smiled but furrowed his brows a bit, “You were?” He and Tessa walked over and sat at the counter.

“Oh, yes, honey. Word spreads quickly around here. I’ve been anxious to meet you,” she smiled.

Kurt’s smile faltered a bit. Had his new friends been talking to people? Had Sebastian? How much did they know? How many people knew? Or was this just how small towns were, like Sebastian had said.

She recognized the slight panic, and leaned in a little closer, speaking softly, “No worries, sugar. I just mean that I knew we had a handsome new single dad in town. Peggy told me.”

Kurt was relieved. He could handle the real estate agent being a little gossipy. He smiled back, “I’m Kurt Bisset. This is my daughter, Tessa. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“You too, honey.” She beamed, “I’m Mama J!” They shook hands. “Now, what can I get you two cuties?”

Kurt ordered for him and Tessa, and Mama J went off to put the order in and help a few more customers. Kurt was surprised that a couple of people came up and introduced themselves to them as they were passing to go to the end of the counter to pay their bills. 

Mama J would come back and chat every once in a while. She told Kurt some of the things that were in and around town that might be of interest to Tessa. Tessa had lit up when Mama J mentioned a really cool park that had a splash pad that was at the edge of town. 

After lunch, they ordered an ice cream sundae with two spoons. Kurt enjoyed talking with Mama J as they ate. She continued telling them about some more places to see that were within driving distance. Kurt wondered if it was obvious that he wasn’t just new to town, but that he also was new to the region. As they finished, Mama J wiped down the counter in front of her a bit. She smiled, “I think this town is going to be just what you two need.”

Kurt returned the smile, “I hope so.” He looked at Tessa, “Did you get _any_ of the ice cream into your mouth?” he teased. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then I’ll pay the bill.”

Tessa smiled a big sticky smile back and nodded before Kurt walked her back to the bathroom.

~

Sebastian and Oliver walked from Brookville Hardware toward Mama J’s Diner at a leisurely pace.   
“So how are Mom and Dad?” Sebastian asked.

“The same as always. It wouldn’t kill you to pick up the phone every once in a while,” Oliver looks over to Sebastian to see him roll his eyes.

“Why? So I can hear about all of their fancy-ass friends that I don’t care about, while simultaneously being told what a disappointment I am?”

“You only have one family, Seb. Don’t take them for granted. Come visit,” Oliver made sure to keep his voice soft and encouraging, as if anything different would send Sebastian running like an injured animal.

Sebastian sighed, “I’ll make you a deal. Help my friend for free, and I’ll come for a visit.”

“Deal. I like how you added in the “for free” part once I got here.” Sebastian smirked as Oliver continued, “You’re gonna have to tell me what’s going on. Seriously. I was shocked when you called, so this must be important.”

Sebastian nodded, “It is. I won’t tell you everything, because it’s not my place. He will tell you what you need to know. But it’s _really_ important, Ollie. He needs someone he can trust. Someone who will not give away anything if someone comes asking questions.”

“You know I can do that, Seb.” Oliver opened the door to Mama J’s. 

Mama J smiled, “Sebastian! How nice to see you again! Who is this handsome look alike you bring with you?”

“Hey Mama J,” he smiled. “This is my little brother, Oliver. He’s just visiting.”

Oliver stuck out his hand, “Nice to meet you, Mama J.”

“You, too, Sweetie. Now you two have a seat, and I’ll send Sophie over to take your order in just a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Mama J,” Sebastian smiled. They went over to an open table by the window.

Oliver shook his head. Sebastian frowned, “What?!”

He rolled his eyes, “Small towns. You love every second of it, don’t you?”

Sebastian nodded, “I do. I like knowing everyone, and everyone knowing me. I like a simple life, Ollie. I don’t miss New York or Paris at all. Those days are over for me. I love my little town, my little house, and my amazing friends. I’m happy here.”

Oliver nodded, then became a little more serious, “And they accept you?”

Sebastian nodded in return, “They do. And those who don’t, are at least decent enough to keep their mouths shut.”

 _“Good.”_ Oliver looked around, _“This place is a far cry from the gay capitol of the world. Do you even date?”_ They continued to speak in hushed tones, even though they were speaking French.

 _“I have, yes. Just because it’s a small town, doesn’t mean I have to stay here every night and day. Harrison has several gay couples, and a few singles. And Rossford even has a small gay bar. I’ve dated, but no one serious since.... New York.”_ Oliver watched Sebastian, and nodded slowly. _“I’ve been perfectly happy just going out every once in a while. But…”_ Sebastian decided to stop while he was ahead. He didn’t want to say too much. He turned the conversation back to Oliver, “ _What about you, Ollie? Decide to tie the knot yet?”_

_“Pfft, no. You know single life is what I like.”_

Sophie came and took their order. She smiled at Sebastian before walking away. Ollie raised an eyebrow, “Cute.”

“Shut up,” Sebastian smiled. _“I do want to ask another favor besides helping my friend.”_ Oliver nodded that he was listening, _“I would like to tell him about our family before you meet him. You know as well as I do that you run your mouth. I want him warned.”_

Oliver just nodded, “Okay.” He was starting to wonder if Sebastian had feelings for this mystery man. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a little girl staring at him. She had a thoughtful expression, her head slightly tilted as she held the hand of a man who had his back to them as he waited paid their bill. It’s almost like she thought she recognized him, but wasn’t sure.

Seeing Oliver’s face and wondering what brought on the confused frown, Sebastian turned to see what, or who, had caught Oliver’s attention. He turned in his seat a bit and saw Tessa. She lit up when she saw him, and Sebastian smiled from ear to ear. Oliver looked on in amused curiosity. 

Tessa was pulling at Kurt’s hand. Sebastian waved, “Hi Tessa!”

Kurt heard her name, and was getting annoyed with the pulling. He turned to see Sebastian and smiled. He let go of Tessa’s hand, and went to pay and leave the tip on the counter. 

Tessa took off toward Sebastian. He was a bit surprised when she threw her arms around his arm and squeezed. He hugged back right away, “Hey, Sweetie. Did you have lunch with Daddy?”

She smiled and nodded. 

Kurt was approaching, sort of timidly. He didn’t know the man Sebastian was with, and didn’t want to interrupt a lunch date. The thought made his stomach twist in knots. However, as he got closer, he could see the uncanny resemblance, and assumed it was Sebastian’s brother.

As Oliver watched this little girl hug his brother, then saw this handsome man approach, he said, _“My my, Seb. I may be straight, but damn. Please tell me this is more than just a friend of yours.”_

Sebastian’s eyes widened and blush grew on his cheeks. He looked at Kurt, who was also blushing slightly. Before he could say anything, Kurt smirked, _“Well, I appreciate that apparently you think I’m handsome, but Sebastian and I are just friends at the moment.”_

Oliver wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. He smiled bigger than Sebastian had ever seen, _“Well, as long as it’s just for the moment. Or, if you wanted someone a little younger….”_ he bounced his eyebrows.

_“Didn’t you just say you were straight?”_

_“_ Okay, moving right along,” Sebastian had to stop this before it got out of hand. And knowing Oliver, that could be any second. “Oliver, this is Kurt Bisset. Kurt, this is my brother, Oliver Smythe.” The two shook hands. “And this is Kurt’s daughter, Tessa.”

Oliver looked at her and smiled, “Hi there, beautiful. Did anyone ever tell you that you have your daddy’s eyes?”

She nodded and hid her head in Sebastian’s arm. Something about that melted Kurt’s heart even more. The fact that Tessa was holding on to Sebastian, using him as a shield to hide her shyness...It was making Kurt fall a little more. He was going to have to be careful. He knew that when he fell, it was hard and fast. Now was not the time.

“So, are you the lawyer that’s going to be helping me out?” Kurt asked.

Oliver seemed a little surprised that it was Kurt that Sebastian wanted him to help. He nodded, “Yes, that’s me.”

“Well, I appreciate it. I wasn’t expecting you to come to town. I thought we’d be meeting over the phone.”

“Well, when I finally get a call from big brother here, nothing could stop me from using the excuse to come for a visit.”

Kurt looked to Sebastian. Sebastian just shrugged, “Would you like to join us, Kurt?”

He shook his head, “Thank you, but we should really be going. We need to walk off the ice cream we just ate.”

Sebastian looked at Tessa, “You had ice cream?!” 

She smiled big and nodded. 

“YUM!” Sebastian smiled, “Mama J makes the best sundaes.”

Oliver frowned, “Which you don’t eat, right?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “I can have a little sugar every once in a while. Good grief, I wish everyone would stop worrying.”

“Then don’t give us a reason to worry,” Oliver shot back.

“Are you ready to go, Tess?” Kurt asked. He didn’t want to get in the middle of this. He started to feel weird standing in the aisle. She nodded.

“Hey, can I come by after work? I wanted to talk to you before you and Ollie met.”

“Yeah, we should be home.”

Oliver interjected, “Can I stop by tomorrow then? Is there somewhere you want to meet, or is your house okay? Or Seb’s?”

Kurt shook his head, “My house is good. That way I can keep Tessa entertained. I’ll work out a time with Sebastian tonight.”

They said their goodbyes, and Kurt and Tessa were on their way. Oliver looked at Sebastian with a raised brow. 

Sebastian sighed, “What?”

_“You like him. And his daughter.”_

Sebastian nodded, _“I do. Very much. He knows that I’d like to go out with him.”_

_“But…?”_

_“But you’ll find out soon enough. He’s going through a lot. I’m counting on you to help keep them safe. Our time will come. And if it doesn’t, then at least I’ve gained a good friend.”_

Oliver frowned, _“Keep him safe?”_

_“You need to talk to him about it, Ollie. I’m not going to share any more.”_

_~_

When Kurt opened the door to let Sebastian in, he smiled, “Hey. Is everything okay?”

Sebastian was a little take aback by that, “Yeah. Why?”

Kurt shrugged as he walked to the kitchen, Sebastian following behind him, “You had said you wanted to talk to me before I met with Oliver, and as nice as you always are, you seemed a little anxious at the diner today. So, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to fill you in on a few things. Oliver has a big mouth when it comes to family, and I want you to hear things from me, not him.”

Kurt nodded, “Have a seat. I’m getting ready to fix dinner. Can you stay? You can tell me everything while I cook, then eat with us.”

“That would be nice. Thanks. Where’s Tess?”

“She’s watching a movie. We ran into Susan on our walk home, and I was telling her about getting more settled, and about buying everything at Bond’s, but that we were anxious for Netflix or rentals. She brought over a bunch of her kid’s movies for us to borrow.” 

Sebastian smiled, “That’s nice. It really is looking great here.”

“Thanks,” Kurt returned the smile. “Now, spill. What’s so different about your family that you wanted to warn me beforehand?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, and began telling Kurt about his family, “I’m not originally from here. My family is wealthy. Very wealthy. And we never really settled in one spot, because my family has homes in a lot of different places… Vail, New York, Paris, mainly...Oliver and I were always at one boarding school or another. I went to Columbia and studied law when I graduated high school.”

Kurt’s eyes widened and he turned from the stovetop toward Sebastian. He nodded and continued, “Yeah. So I’m sure you’re wondering how I ended up here.”

Kurt shrugged a little, “I’m still stuck on the fact that you got into Columbia. That’s impressive.”

Sebastian nodded, “It is. And being a lawyer was what I was expected to do with my life. I was supposed to graduate top of my class, and join the family firm in the New York office.”

“But…?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian washed his hands, then without being asked, started helping Kurt do things that were obviously difficult to do one handed.

“But, it’s not what I wanted. I was halfway through law school, and I was miserable. I was dating this amazing guy, and all I wanted to do was build a life with him, not spend my life in classrooms and courtrooms like my father. It’s just not the life I wanted.” 

Kurt waited patiently for him to continue as Sebastian scooped up the freshly chopped veggies and added them to the dish. 

“So, once I had my trust fund money, I quit school. I thought the perfect guy that I was with would have come with me. We had even talked about it a bit. Apparently he thought it was all talk, because I actually took my trust fund and left the rest of the family money behind, he suddenly had a change of heart.”

“Jesus…” Kurt muttered and shook his head. 

“Yeah. It took me a long time to realize, but I know it all worked out for the better. I’ve had years to get over it, ya know?” 

Kurt nodded, though he was angry at the other guy on Sebastian’s behalf. “So how did you end up in the middle of nowhere, Colorado?”

“Well, Vail was always one of my favorite places growing up. My family owns the [ Vail Marriott Mountain Resort. ](https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/vail-marriott-mountain-resort-spa.html?aid=1550631&label=91272a582f194f94913ee291811c2a85) Mom and Dad thought it was all just a phase I was going through, so they let me stay there to “clear my mind”. The head of maintenance, Jerold, was super nice, and took me under his wing a bit. I always loved building things and tinkering with hands. It’s something I didn’t get to do much, but Jerold let me help around the resort. He needed a part for something he was trying to fix, and couldn’t find it anywhere, and couldn’t wait for an online order. He was from Harrison, so he knew about Brookville Hardware. He called, and they had it. So he sent me on the two hour drive to get it, and I fell in love with this town instantly.”

Kurt smiled, understanding the feeling. He frowned a bit, “You said you fought their love.”

He nodded, “I did. It was hard for me to learn to trust people again. I had just been dumped because I gave up the life my family wanted me to lead. No wealth, no prestigious school or job, and no boyfriend because of it. Nobody in this town cared about my money, or lack of it. I didn’t move here right away. I came back to visit a couple of times, and the last time, there was a “for sale” sign in the window of the hardware store. Mr. Miller, the owner, had passed away from a heart attack. I took a chance, and spent some of my trust fund buying the store and my house. I haven’t looked back since.”

Kurt put the casserole in the oven, “How long has it been?”

“Five years.”

Kurt nodded, “Do you still talk to your family?”

Sebastian took a deep breath through his nose and pursed his lips. Finally he said, “Occasionally. I talked to Oliver maybe once a year. I think he’s finally getting it. Mom and Dad are pretty disappointed in me. When I used to call, they would tell me all about their rich friends and their rich friends' successful children. Not once did they ever ask about if I was happy.”

Kurt shook his head, “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine not wanting to know if Tess was happy.”

He nodded, “You’re a good dad, Kurt. Tess doesn't have to speak for the world to see that she loves you with all of her heart. You can see it in the way she looks at you.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “Thank you for telling me that.”

“Of course,” Sebastian said. He suddenly remembered that Dan probably never told him nice things. He sighed, finishing his story, “So, my brother tends to let a lot slip. I assumed you would meet with him via Facetime or something. I wanted you to be prepared for whatever he would tell you, so you could concentrate on the matter at hand. But apparently, he took the call as an invitation,” he chuckled. “He’s staying at the resort, and drove in this morning.”

Kurt smiled a little, “Well, I appreciate him helping, and I especially appreciate you calling him. I know that probably wasn’t easy. I’m very grateful.” He tried slicing the loaf of bread, but Sebastian wordlessly took over. “And for the record, the asshole who dumped you for following your heart, didn’t deserve you.”

Sebastian blushed slightly and smiled, “Thanks.”

Tessa came into the room and lit up when she saw Sebastian. She ran to him and gave him a hug. He smiled and hugged her back. 

Kurt shook his head and smiled, “I knew the smell of diner cooking would lure you in eventually. Why don’t you get the silverware out for us and set the table?” 

She nodded and let go of Sebastian to do her task. 

Kurt looked at him and spoke quietly, “I’ve never seen her act that way with anyone. She’s really taken to you.”

He shrugged one shoulder, “The feeling’s mutual.” 

Kurt smiled and got out plates to hand to Sebastian. Once the table was set, they just had to wait on the casserole. Kurt said, “Tess, why don’t you go show Sebastian your new bedroom stuff? I’ll fix the drinks. What would you like, Sebastian? We have water, milk, Diet Coke, or beer.”

“Water is perfect.” He looked at Tessa, “I hear there are llamas in your room?”

She nodded enthusiastically and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've loved hearing your thoughts. Please leave kudos and KIND comments! They mean so much to me!


	6. chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt tells Oliver his legal issues.

Oliver sat in Kurt’s living room and waited for Kurt to set Tessa up with a few things in the other room that would keep her busy so they could talk privately. When Kurt came back in, he smiled sort of shyly. 

Oliver smiled back, “She’s adorable.”

“Thank you,” Kurt said as he sat in the armchair that was perpendicular to the couch. 

“So, here’s what I need from you, Kurt. I just need you to tell me your legal issues, but I’d like you to talk to me as if I were a buddy you normally hang out with. Don’t be formal about it. I need to get a feel for what’s really going on, and I can make my best judgement on how to handle it from there. If I have questions, I’ll ask.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay. Where should I start?”

“Wherever you’d like. If we need to backtrack, we can.”

He took a deep breath, “Okay. Legally, my real name is Kurt Shepherd. It was Kurt Hummel, but my husband, Dan, insisted I take his name when we got married.” He waited a beat to see if Oliver would have a reaction to him revealing he’s gay, but none came, so he continued, “Dan was abusive, mentally and emotionally, until about six months ago, when it became physical. I need help divorcing him, but I also need to change mine and Tessa’s last name so we can hide better.”

Oliver nodded and got out his laptop so he could take notes, “Tell me about the abuse.”

“Dan is extremely charming. Everyone falls in love with him when they meet him. I was no exception…” Kurt went on to tell Oliver about the mental games that Dan would play on him. He explained how Dan eventually made him give up his friends and his Broadway career.

“I decided to finish a story that I had been writing just for fun and turn it in to a couple of publishing companies. I wasn’t working anymore, so I figured why not, ya know?” Oliver nodded. “Well one of the companies liked it, and I signed a book deal. He hated that. He suggested we have a baby. My guess is that he thought I would be distracted enough that I wouldn’t keep writing. Apparently, me being successful, no matter how, just didn’t work for him. Anyway, somehow I convinced him to let us both donate sperm. We had an egg donor and a surrogate. When it was obvious Tessa was mine, he became a lot meaner and more resentful.” 

Kurt went on to explain what happened when Tessa had broken the vase and he stepped in the way to protect her. Oliver closed his eyes to control his emotions, and Kurt couldn’t get over how much he looked like Sebastian in that moment. “She hasn’t spoken since that night. And until we moved to Brookville, she had shown no emotion. No smiles, no crying, nothing.”

Oliver nodded, “Nothing until she got here? Sebastian has always said this place is special. Maybe it’s already working it’s magic on her.”

Kurt agreed, “It is a special place. It’s amazing, really. The people are lovely, but I’ve thought about it. The first time she smiled was because of Sebastian. The first time she giggled was because of Sebastian. The first time she hugged someone other than me, was Sebastian. She lights up when she sees him.”

Before he could process that he was saying all of this outloud, Oliver got his attention again, “Just so you know, I haven’t seen Seb this happy in a long time. I haven’t seen him smile like he did at the dinner since…New York. It’s not just your daughter that put that smile there. It’s you too. He knows he has to wait, but he’s very willing to do that.”

Kurt nodded slowly, “All the more reason to get this over with, right?”

Oliver smiled a little as he nodded, “Right. But you may not be ready when this is over, either. Take your time.”

Kurt sighed a little, “In all technical aspects, I may be married still, but it’s been a long time since my heart belonged to someone other than Tess. The reality of my situation hit me years ago. It may take me awhile, but it won’t take me forever.”

He liked that response, but they really needed to keep moving, “What did you do after that night?”

Kurt became a bit more somber, “I called the police, and Dan took off. They didn’t do anything. Dan wasn’t there, Tess wouldn’t talk, and they didn’t seem to care about the bruises. One of them muttered something about the likelihood of it being from a fight in a gay bar. Anyway, I took Tess and we moved to the city. Dan agreed to put the house on the market, shockingly.”

“I’m assuming you mean New York, since you were on Broadway?”

“Yes. I filed for a divorce, but he refused to sign. I was desperate. And this is where I made a big mistake…” Oliver leaned forward a little, ready to hear what happened. “I tricked him into signing the papers.”

“Fraud?”

Kurt nodded, “I put them among all of the real estate papers that I needed him to sign. He just signed on the “x” like all the other papers. But he found out.” He looked down at his arm.

“Oh shit,” Oliver whispered.

“Yeah. He busted down the door, and-” Kurt proceeded to tell him what had happened that horrible night, and then how he took Tessa and ran. At some point during the retelling of the encounter, Oliver had walked to the window and looked out as Kurt was speaking. Kurt couldn’t help but be comforted by it a little, because, once again, it was exactly what Sebastian had done.

Once Kurt was finished, Oliver turned back to look at him, “We’re going to nail his ass to the wall, Kurt. When I’m through with him, he’ll be in jail, you’ll be a single dad named Kurt Bisset with full custody of your beautiful daughter. Don’t worry about the fraud issue. I can get that swept away with the accurate claims of duress.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “I’m quite certain he’s already actively looking for us. As soon as he hears anything from you, he’s going to push. He’s going to call you, come to your office, or...I don’t even know what else. But he’ll push. He’ll be so charming. And if his charm doesn’t work, he’ll use intimidation.”

Oliver smirked, “He will get  _ nowhere _ . I promise you. He’s never gone up against a Smythe. He’ll have no idea what hit him.”

~

“What is your deal, Sebastian? You’ve been antsy all day. Does this have anything to do with that guy that as in here earlier?” Mel put her hand on her hip and waited for an answer.

Sebastian sighed, “Sort of, yeah. He’s helping a friend, and I’m anxious to hear how it’s going.”

“Helping a friend with what?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Just some legal issues.”

“Is this “friend” someone special?” She giggled when Sebastian blushed a little. Since when did he blush?

He ignored her completely, “Did you finish restocking the hand tools?”

“Yes, boss. You’re avoiding my question.”

“Why, yes. Yes, I am,” Sebastian smirked and walked away. 

~

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” 

“I don’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense. It’s nice to have company. Especially company that I can hold an actual conversation with. You know, who actually talks back? You could call Sebastian and see if he wants to join us. I don’t have a phone yet.”

Oliver frowned, “You need a phone. What if you needed to call 911 or something?”

Kurt frowned a bit, “I don’t want to give my name anywhere. I can’t sign up for a phone or even get a landline. I won’t do anything that could possibly lead him here.”

Oliver shook his head, “You can get a prepaid phone and do it anonymously. You just buy the phone and prepaid card.” Kurt looked doubtful, so he continued, “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go buy you one, my treat, and call Seb while I’m out. We’ll be back in a couple of hours. Sound good?”

Kurt nodded, trying to accept both the information, and the help, “Yeah. That sounds good. Thank you.”

~

Oliver walked into the hardware store, and Mel did a double take. Oliver chuckled, “Is Sebastian around?”

Mel was still frowning slightly, but answered a long drawn out, “Yeeeessss?”

“I’m Oliver Smythe. Sebastian’s brother.” He offered his hand to shake.

She shook it, frown disappearing, “Oh. I’m Melissa. Sebastian calls me Mel. Man, you two look alike. You’re not twins though, right?” She noticed that Oliver was slightly shorter and not quite as thin as Sebastian. His hair was lighter, as well, but there was no denying that they were brothers.

“Nope. I’m younger. We don’t look as much alike when we’re next to each other, but I can see where people would think that we’re twins when we’re apart. I mean, we’re both devastatingly gorgeous.” He winked at her.

She raised her eyebrows and shrugged one shoulder, “You’ll do.” He laughed in response. He loved it when someone could handle him.

“Leave her alone, Ollie,” Sebastian said, coming out from the office in the back. 

“I was being nice!” he defended. 

“Mmhmm,” he rolled his eyes. “How did your meeting go?”

Oliver’s face morphed into something a bit scary, and he lowered his voice, “Oh, I’m going to make that bastard pay.”

Sebastian’s worried expression turned to a smile, “I knew I could count on you.”

~

A couple of hours later, both Oliver and Sebastian arrived at Kurt and Tessa’s place for dinner. Kurt greeted them at the door, and they followed him into the eat-in kitchen. When Tessa saw Sebastian she lit up once again, and ran to give him a hug. 

“Hi, Sweetie!” he hugged back.

She smiled up at him.

Kurt shook his head with a grin and muttered, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Tessa pulled Sebastian over to the refrigerator and pointed to a drawing that she had done earlier. 

Sebastian’s eyes widened and smiled, “Wow! Kurt, did you just buy a Picasso? I mean this looks like the art I saw while I was in Paris. This must have cost you a fortune.”

Kurt smiled and bit his lip. He teared up a little when Tessa giggled. He took a deep breath to control his emotions, “Nope.  _ That _ happens to be an original from my very own artist… Miss Tessa.”

Sebastian gasped and threw his hand over his heart as he looked at Tessa, “ _ You _ did this?”

She bounced up and down a little, making her curls bounce. Her eyes lit up as she nodded.

“Wow, Tess. It’s beautiful! And Daddy put it in the place of honor...right on the front of the refrigerator. That’s better than any ole museum in Paris!”

Oliver shook his head, “The ladies always love him. How  _ that _ is fair, I don’t know.”

Sebastian made a face and looked at his brother over his shoulder, “Like you don’t do just fine yourself. Mr. I-don’t-want-to-settle-down-I’m-having-too-much-fun.”

Kurt chuckled and Oliver winked at him, “I do okay.”

Sebastian opened the wine that they had brought while Oliver gave Kurt the phone and quickly explained how it all worked. Kurt finished up making the baked chicken, green beans, and roasted potatoes. Tessa and Sebastian helped him put everything on the table and get drinks ready. Oliver would have helped, but he was too busy watching in amusement at the familiar domesticity of it all.

Dinner was lovely, and the conversation flowed well. It was mostly Oliver trying to tell embarrassing stories about Sebastian from their childhood, but Sebastian didn’t mind. It was making Kurt and Tessa smile, so he wasn’t going to fight it. 

After dinner, Kurt turned to Tessa, “Go upstairs, brush your teeth and go potty. If you come back down in your pj’s and pass the teeth inspection, you can watch a show before bed.”

She ran out of the room, and Kurt chuckled.

Sebastian asked, “How are you going to watch a show? I know you have an antenna for the tv, but I wouldn’t think there would be any kids shows on this late. Did you give in and get Netflix?”

“No, Susan stopped by. She said she was thinking about us borrowing those movies, and then realized we could just use her password until we can get our own account.” He smirked at Oliver, knowing it was bending the rules.

“Oh. I didn’t know you could do that. I don’t really watch much on an actual tv. I just use my computer.”

Kurt looked confused, so Oliver explained, “Sebastian doesn’t have a tv. So if he wants to watch a documentary or something, he uses the computer. Usually if it’s not on YouTube, he doesn’t watch it. At least that’s how things were…” He suddenly realized that he had no idea if Sebastian was still like that. It had been over five years since they had seen each other on a semi regular basis.

Sebastian nodded, “It’s still that way. I just prefer to read.”

“You’ve obviously not been to his place yet. There are books _ everywhere _ .”

Kurt smiled a little, and Sebastian seemed to be a little taken aback by the fact that he hadn’t realized Kurt hadn’t been to his house. But why would he have been there?

He was deep in thought, when Oliver whacked him on the arm with the back of his hand, “Seb.”

He jerked his head, “What?! I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”

Kurt smiled, “I asked you what kind of books you read. What’s your favorite?”

Sebastian didn’t hesitate, “I’ve been a little obsessed with mystery thrillers since moving out of the city. My favorite is  _ Into The Dark _ . It’s part of a series. I love the entire series, but that one is my favorite. It sucked me in, and now… Kurt? Are you okay?”

Kurt’s face was red, and he was smiling slightly, but looked a little surprised. Before he could say anything, Tessa came running up to him in her pajamas, and smiled big, showing her teeth, as she held Bunny to her chest.

Reluctantly, Kurt looked away from Sebastian and down at Tessa, “Love those pearly whites, Tess. Go get settled in the living room and I’ll be right there.” She skipped away toward the living room. Kurt cleared his throat, “I’ll be right back.” He followed Tess.

Oliver was smiling from ear to ear. He turned toward a confused Sebastian, “Wanna make a bet?”

Sebastian frowned, “No. A bet about what?”

Oliver chuckled, “A bet that he wrote that series.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened and looked at the doorway, then back to Oliver, “You think?”

“He never told us the titles. Maybe he uses a pen name.”

Sebastian stood up and started taking the dishes to the sink, trying to keep himself busy. 

He was in the middle of scraping the scraps into the garbage when Kurt walked back in. He looked up, not wasting any time, “Did you write those books? Are you K.E. Hudson?”

Kurt blushed again, “Yeah.”

Sebastian braced himself against the counter, arms stretched straight as he hung his head and huffed out a laugh, “Holy shit.”

He looked up at Kurt. He was still a bit red, biting his lip as he smiled. He shrugged a little. They stared at each other for a few seconds, until they were shaken out of it by Oliver laughing as he clapped his hands together a few times, “I’m so glad I came here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind comments. It really helps me keep writing! Kind comments and Kudos are appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of fluff, and they head to the resort in Vail for both business, and fun.

“I’m so glad I came here!”

Sebastian looked at Oliver quickly, then back to Kurt. He shook his head and grinned, “I can’t believe this.”

Kurt wasn’t sure what to say. He walked up to the other side of the island and leaned his front against it. He shrugged a little, “I’m...glad you liked them?”

“Liked them? Kurt, they are the only books I’ve re-read. Ever. I always move on to new stories, hoping to find a new favorite. I read one by someone else after your last book, then I went back and re-read the entire series since the other one had my inner dialog doing nothing but comparing and complaining about all the ways it didn’t live up. They’re fantastic, Kurt.”

“That’s mighty high praise coming from him,” Oliver smiled.

Kurt was blushing again, “Well...thank you.”

Sebastian nodded and smiled warmly, “You’re welcome.” His smile faded in realization, “Oh god.” He went to the table and sat.

Oliver and Kurt both frowned, and watched him. Oliver asked, “Are you okay? Your sugar should be okay, right?”

Sebastian’s head was in his hands, and his elbows were on the table. He said, “My sugar is fine.” He looked up at Kurt, “Kate. Is Kate…?”

Kate was assistant to the lead detective, Michael, in Kurt’s mystery series. In the first book, Kate had a whirlwind romance with a man named David. In the second book, the romance turned into an abusive relationship, where David began to mess with Kate’s mental state. It wasn’t the main part of the story, but it was discussed often, seeing as the abuse took a toll on Kate, causing a focus issue in her work. Michael had tried to help her get out of the relationship in the third book, but was unsuccessful. 

“Me?” Kurt asked. He nodded slightly, “To an extent, yes.”

“I’m sorry, Kurt. I’m so sorry.”

Kurt frowned and shook his head, “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. Kate is strong, just like me. She has her battles to fight, but she’ll pull through. Just like I will.”

Sebastian nodded, “I know you will. Oliver and I will help you do that, too. It just hurts knowing that you pulled from experience when writing that part of her journey.”

Kurt pulled a chair out and sat down by Sebastian, “Experiences can make us or break us. He may have broken me physically, but not mentally. I’m stronger than he thinks. We just need to pull from those experiences to find inspiration sometimes. To find tools to fight with, and make ourselves better. To find our power. Each experience is a lesson. It may suck, but if you pay attention, you learn from it. I used those experiences to write a character that may not be the lead, but she plays an important part in the story. And writing her has put me on the New York Times Best Seller list. In a way, I’m using what he did to me to do exactly what he discouraged me not to….Succeed. And my story, just like Kate’s, is just beginning.”

~

The next morning, Sebastian was back at the house, applying the Arnica ointment to Kurt’s back. 

“They’re looking better,” he said softly.

Kurt nodded, “They feel better.”

“Good.”

When Sebastian was finished, Kurt took the tube and threw it in his bag. The previous night, Oliver had talked both Kurt and Sebastian into coming to Vail and spending a night or two at the resort. That would allow him and Kurt to use the conference room, with access to the printer, fax machine, and anything else Oliver would need while in communication with his firm in New York. Sebastian had said he would go so that Kurt could work with Oliver, and he and Tessa could enjoy the resort pool.

Tessa was extremely excited about going. She loved to swim, but rarely got the chance. Kurt was pretty certain that she was excited about spending time with Sebastian too. He told her it would be like a mini vacation, and that he would try to spend as much time with her as possible, but he did have to work a little. He laughed as she turned dramatically serious and nodded, as if saying, “Yes, Sir.”

Kurt grabbed the bag, and turned to Sebastian and Tessa, “Are you two ready? I’ll drive.”

Sebastian answered, “Yep!” He looked at Tessa, “Ready for a fun adventure?” She nodded excitedly.

Sebastian put the bags in the trunk while Kurt got Tessa buckled in. 

Once they were on their way out of town, Kurt asked, “Are you sure it’s okay for you to leave the store for a couple of days?”

Sebastian smirked, “That’s what’s so nice about being the owner. I can take off whenever I want, as long as I have some coverage. Mel was more than happy to get rid of me.”

Kurt chuckled, “She seems nice.”

“She is,” Sebastian nodded. “She’s been a big help. A little too ‘mother hen’ sometimes, but it seems the entire town can get that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, with my diabetes. Everyone is overly dramatic about it and always super worried.”

Kurt hummed, then asked, “Have you ever given them a reason to be so worried? Sometimes Oliver seems to think you do.” He paused, “I’m not accusing… I just was wondering if there’s ever been any incidents that would make him think that.”

Sebastian thought for a few seconds, then answered, “I didn’t know I was diabetic until three years ago. I was at the Harvest Festival with Susan, Tony, and the kids, and had separated from them for a bit. I had a seizure caused by low blood sugar. I had skipped lunch, and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Anyway, it was right there in the middle of the festival for all of the town to see. Paramedics came and took me to the hospital, and that’s how I was diagnosed. So now, everyone in town seems to claim the responsibility of making sure I eat properly and am feeling okay.”

“It’s nice that everyone cares, and that they are all making sure you’re okay.” Kurt glanced over at Sebastian. 

“It is. I need to be more grateful for that. It just becomes a bit much sometimes with everyone always asking.”

They talked the entire drive. Sebastian told Kurt about growing up traveling from one family home to another, and Kurt told Sebastian about growing up in Ohio. By the end of the conversation, Sebastian was pretty sure that Kurt’s husband wasn’t the only man in Kurt’s life who had crossed the line when it came to abuse. High school seemed to be tough on Kurt, but they kept their stories to general information because Tessa was in the car.

~

When they arrived at the resort, Kurt muttered, “Holy cow.”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah.” 

Kurt noticed that there was no smile on Sebastian’s face, and hoped that being here wasn’t causing too much pain for him. He didn’t know if being at a family-owned property was making Sebastian upset, so he had to ask.

“This….This is okay, isn’t it? I don’t want to be the reason you-”

Sebastian cut him off, “It’s fine, Kurt. Really. If it was a problem, I wouldn’t have come. It’s just that it’s a huge reminder of my parents' wealth and what I gave up...And what and who gave up on me. But trust me, I have a ton of happy memories here too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed here after I left New York.” He pointed, ‘Pull up, and we can use valet parking.”

Kurt pulled up, and handed the keys to a young man who approached. He unbuckled Tessa, and she got out and stretched. Another young man helped Sebastian with the bags. Kurt smiled when he heard the conversation.

“How are you, Sebastian? Long time, no see.”

“I’m good, Joey. Working at the coffee shop not cutting it anymore?”

“Let’s just say that I don’t have it in me to remember how to make all those complicated, fancy orders. Driving and parking are much more my speed. At least until I get through college. It’s a good summer job.”

“Well, I’m sure they love having you here. Take care.” 

As they approached the main doors, Kurt looked around at the beautiful rockwork, and large chandeliers made of antlers. It really was beautiful. 

He noticed one of the two doormen was smiling extra wide. Sebastian went straight to the man and hugged him. He hugged right back, patting him on the back.

“It’s good to see you, Mark.”

“You too, Sebastian. I wasn’t sure you’d ever come back.”

Sebastian pulled away, “You can’t keep me away too long. You have a car and a phone, ya know. You could always call or come visit.”

“I know. Lucy might like a little getaway.”

“Lucy, huh? Finally took the plunge?”

Mark blushed and shrugged, “Yeah.” He looked at Kurt and Tessa, who were slowly approaching. 

Sebastian turned and said, “Mark, these are my friends Kurt and Tessa. Kurt and Tessa, this is Mark. He was a great friend when I lived here. He was quite the partier, but it seems he’s settled down a bit.”

Mark nodded, “It’s nice to meet you both.”

Kurt smiled, “It’s nice to meet you too. Maybe you have some fun stories about Sebastian you can share with me later?”

“Hey!” Sebastian playfully frowned, “No ganging up on me while we’re here.”

Tessa giggled and Kurt looked at her and smiled as he squeezed her hand. “Tessa, you have to tell me if you hear any funny stories about Sebastian, okay?”

She nodded and giggled again.

Upon check-in, Kurt discovered that a room had already been purchased for he and Tessa, and Sebastian would be staying with Oliver in the Smythe suite. The lady at the front desk handed Kurt a note from Oliver, asking him to meet him in the small conference room at noon.

“Looks like I have about an hour before meeting Oliver. He said we can all meet in the conference room for lunch, then you two can go have fun. Tess, do you want to take our stuff to our room, go potty, then explore the resort?”

She nodded enthusiastically. 

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Care to show us around?”

Sebastian bowed a bit, “It would be my pleasure.”

Kurt gave Sebastian their room number, “Meet us ten minutes?”

“Sounds good.” He looked at Tessa, “Take care of your daddy, Tessa!” She giggled, making all three of them smile.

Kurt took Tessa to the room. It was really nice and modern, with a definite mountain feel. There were two queen beds, and Tessa claimed the one by the balcony right away. She ran with Bunny in her arms and plopped onto the bed. 

Kurt chuckled, “Oh, I see. You claim the one with a great view. That’s okay. You know why?” She shook her head and looked at him. He smiled as he went to her and kissed her on the forehead, “Because that means MY view is of my best girl, with a beautiful view behind her. Best of both worlds, I tell you.” He lifted his hand dramatically like he was going to tickle her, then looked down at her, “Oh no, Tess. The tickle monster seems to want to start some trouble. But we can’t let him out until you’ve gone potty. A full bladder and tickling are not a good combination.”

Her eyes got big and shook her head no, then jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Kurt chuckled, watching her go. He sighed and got up, walking to the balcony doors. They had a great view of the pool, gardens, mountains, and fire pit. It was a gorgeous resort. He thought about how Sebastian seemed more comfortable with the employees here, and couldn’t imagine him walking around like he owned the place. 

Once Tessa was out of the bathroom, he took his turn. Before he shut the door, he told her, “Don’t answer the door, even if you think it’s Sebastian. Don’t go on the balcony, either. I’ll just be a minute.” She nodded.

Once Sebastian arrived, Kurt and Tessa were both ready to explore the resort a bit. He took them down to the lobby, the ski shop, the cafe, the indoor pool, and then outside. Once there, they explored the fire pit, the pool, and the gardens. 

“This really is a beautiful place. I bet you have a ton of great memories from growing up here.”

“I do. Mostly of Ollie and I learning how to ski, then coming back and swimming in the indoor pool. Until I moved here, I had never been during the summer. I never knew how beautiful it was year round. And the town is great. We can check that out tomorrow, if you want. There’s lots of great little shops.”

Kurt nodded, “That would be nice. Let’s head to the conference room and have lunch.”

He noticed Tessa was slowing down a bit. “Tess, are you ready for a nap?” She nodded. 

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Would you mind staying with her after lunch while she naps?”

“No, that’s fine. Let’s go in. After lunch, I’ll run and get my book, then be back to your room. Once she wakes up, we can go swimming.”

They began walking toward the building, “That sounds good. I’ll get out her swimsuit for you. She can put it on herself in the bathroom, but she’ll need help putting her floaties on. She can tread water, but she’s not the strongest swimmer.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let her out of my sight. We’ll have fun.” 

Kurt looked at Sebastian and nodded. He quietly said, “I trust you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian smiled warmly and held the door open for the two of them as they entered, “Good.”

After lunch, Kurt took Tessa up to the room to get her settled. Ten minutes later, Sebastian knocked on Kurt’s door. When Kurt opened it, he became a bit breathless. Sebastian was leaning against the door frame, book open, glasses on, and reading as he waited. He was wearing swim trunks and a form fitting t-shirt. His long legs stretched for what seemed like miles, and Kurt had to consciously close his mouth. He was gorgeous. When he looked up and smiled at Kurt, it took every ounce of Kurt’s will not to push forward and kiss him. 

“Are you okay?” Sebastian asked.

“Huh?” Kurt was still staring.

“Kurt, are you okay?” Sebastian was becoming a little concerned.

Kurt raised his brows, “Oh! Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” He cleared his throat. “Come in.” _Me_ , he finished in his mind. _Oh my god, stop it, Kurt._

Sebastian entered the room and laid down on his stomach, horizontally, across Kurt’s bed. He looked up at Tessa, “Hi, Sweetie.”

She smiled at him from her bed as she laid down, cuddling Bunny. He winked back at her. 

Kurt went to Tessa and kissed her on the forehead again. “Be good for Sebastian, please. Stay with him, okay?” She nodded. “Sleep, then swim. Got it?” She nodded again. He sighed and turned to Sebastian, almost, but not quite, catching him staring at his ass as he was bent over talking with Tessa.

“She’ll probably only sleep thirty minutes. Just call if you need me, okay?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yep. We’ll be fine. Go.”

At that, Kurt was out the door. Sebastian smiled as Tessa smiled back at him. He was a little taken aback at the look on her face. It was as if she could see something they couldn’t. She smiled bigger, then turned over and snuggled in with Bunny, falling asleep.

Kurt was right. Tessa napped almost thirty minutes exactly. She began to stir, and when she sat up, Sebastian put his bookmark in and closed the book. 

He looked up and smiled, “Hey, Sweetie. Did you have a nice nap?” She nodded sleepily. He chuckled, “Are you sure? Need more time?” She shook her head. “Okay then, why don’t go ahead and go potty, then get your swimsuit on. I’ll wait right here.”

She jumped down from the bed, leaving Bunny behind. She grabbed her suit, and ran into the bathroom. Sebastian chuckled at how excited she was. 

Sebastian smiled when she came out, “Well don’t you look adorable!” She was wearing a one piece swimsuit that was the same blue as her eyes. There were little bunches of flowers all over it in different shades of pink, and her flip flops were a matching pink. She smiled up at Sebastian after grabbing her floaties. 

He chuckled, “Sunscreen first, then pool.” He took her out to the balcony to spray her with the sunscreen, then asked, “I guess now this means you’re ready?” She nodded and took his hand. 

When they got to the pool, Sebastian blew up the floaties and put them on her arms. “Are you a jump in kind of girl, or are you a steps kind of girl?” 

She thought about it, then pulled Seb over to the edge, pointing at him, then the pool, then her. 

“Oh, you want me to get in first? Then you jump?” She nodded quickly. “Alright.” 

He took off his shirt and his flip flops and hopped in. He turned around and held out his arms. She didn’t even hesitate. She ran, jumped, and he caught her before she went under completely. 

“That was brave!”

She smiled up at him. 

They played in the pool for a long time. Sebastian showed her how to do a few things, and they even had a mini swim lesson that had her trying things beyond treading water. 

They took a break for a bit, and Sebastian got them some towels from the resort cart, and they sat under the umbrella. A beautiful lady who had been lounging by the pool walked over and in a thick English accent, said, “You’re daughter is beautiful. You’re good with her.”

Tessa frowned and climbed into Sebastian’s lap as he said, “Thank you, but she’s my friend’s daughter.”

“Oh, so are you single then?”

Tessa crossed her arms and pouted. Sebastian chuckled, “Looks like someone has the ‘angry Tinkerbell’ look down pat.” He looked at the lady, “Technically yes, but my heart belongs to someone.”

The lady looked him up and down, “She better get a move on. Someone like you shouldn’t be single for too long. It’d be an outright crime.”

Sebastian smirked, “I’m willing to wait until he’s ready. He’s worth it.”

She frowned, “H...Oh. Hmm,” she shrugged, “Lucky guy.” She strut away and lounged back in her chair, completely unbothered.

Sebastian looked at Tessa, “Gee, Tess, tell me how you really feel.”

She rolled her eyes just like her Daddy, and Sebastian laughed out loud.

~

Kurt and Oliver sat in the conference room for a couple of hours. Oliver would print out different forms, explain things to Kurt, he’d sign, and Oliver would fax them back to the New York office. 

After discussing the legality of different things, and how he hoped to proceed. 

After a while, Oliver sighed, “You keep looking out the window. You won’t be able to see the pool from here. Do you want to go check on them and make sure everything is okay?”

Kurt shook his head, “I just want to finish here. I trust Sebastian with Tessa, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Oliver gave a thoughtful single nod, “You just look anxious. I want to make sure if it was something I can help with, that I do. I assumed you trust Seb, or you wouldn’t have left your daughter with him in the first place.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t have. I’m just anxious because of all of this crap,” he motioned to the piles of papers. “I just want it all to be over with. I’m terrified that this is going to light another flame under him, and he’s going to come looking for revenge.”

Oliver leaned forward in his seat across from Kurt, “He can’t find you where you are. You’ve done a great job of keeping all information from him. If he’s going to come anywhere, it will be my office in New York.”

“And who’s to say that he won’t get information from someone there?”

“Me. Everyone has already been briefed via teleconference, and once I return, I’ll hold a meeting and make sure everyone fully understands. He won’t get to you, Kurt. Not because of me or my people. And I’d be shocked if he found you any other way.”

Kurt nodded, “Maybe I just need a break.”

“Why don’t you go take a dip in the pool with Seb and Tessa?”

He shook his head, “I can’t.”

Oliver frowned, “Why not?”

Kurt looked out the window again, “Because I don’t want Tessa to see my bruises.”

“Shit. They’re still bad?”

Kurt nodded, looking back at Oliver, “Sebastian’s been stopping by every morning to put Arnica ointment on the ones I can’t reach. They’re better, but they’re still there.”

Oliver was fuming at the thought of them being so bad that they were still there. He ran his hands through his hair, “We’re going to put him away for a long time, Kurt. This isn’t just a divorce and hide deal. He’s going to prison.”

Kurt just nodded and looked out the window. Somehow, he doubted that.

~ 

When Kurt and Oliver were finished, Kurt went out to the pool. Sebastian and Tessa were back in the water playing. Kurt had to close his eyes and ground himself, because the sight of that gorgeous man laughing and playing with his daughter, was almost too much. 

“Hey you two,” Kurt greeted.

Sebastian pushed the hair off his forehead and smiled at Kurt, “Hey! How did it go?”

Kurt kicked off his shoes as he spoke, “Good, I guess. Oliver is a life saver.” He sat down on the edge of the pool and put his feet in. 

Tessa waved her hand for him to come in. Kurt smiled sadly, “I can’t baby girl. I didn’t bring any swim trunks.” He looked at Sebastian, who smiled at him sadly, knowing the real reason. He looked back at Tessa, “Need a potty break?”

She shook her head, and Sebastian said, “Nope, we both just took one.” Kurt chuckled.

He hung out with them around the pool for a little bit, then Kurt said, “Why don’t you two go shower, and we can get dinner together. How does that sound?”

Tessa nodded, and Sebastian answered, “Dinner sounds great. So does a shower. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a pool this long. I think it’s going to be glasses for me tonight,” he rubbed his eyes. “Unless Tess wants to guide me around? Kinda like a seeing eye girl?”

She giggled and shook her head. Kurt just smiled at the two of them.

~

Kurt and Tessa met Sebastian down in the lobby. Kurt frowned, “Where’s Oliver?”

Sebastian made a face, “He _says_ he has business to attend to, but you know…”

Kurt nodded and smiled a little, “He wants us to be alone.” 

Sebastian put his hands in his pockets, “Yeah. Is that okay?”

Kurt frowned and waved it off, “Of course.”

They enjoyed dinner at a nice little bistro in town. After they arrived back at the resort, they walked around a bit. It was getting dark, and the resort sparkled with lights everywhere. They came to the fire pit, where there was a nice fire going. Lights were strung up from pine tree to pine tree. They sat and enjoyed the fire for a while. 

The seats were wooden, and sat two. There were four around the fire pit, with lightweight blankets thrown over the backs. Kurt and Tessa sat in one, and Sebastian in another. They were quiet, content to watch the fire. 

Tessa looked up and saw the woman from the pool walking along the path. She hopped up and grabbed Kurt by the hand and started pulling. 

“Okay, okay, Tess.” He stood. 

She pulled him over toward Sebastian’s seat, and pushed him so he would sit. When he was sitting, she climbed into Sebastian’s lap. Kurt looked at Sebastian, bewildered. Sebastian just shrugged. 

Sebastian looked up and saw the woman from the pool. “Aah, that makes sense now.” He rubbed Tessa’s back a little.

“What does?” Kurt asked.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he said under his breath.

The woman smiled, “So… this is the friend? Very nice.” She looked from Tessa to Kurt, “I see the resemblance.” She winked at Tessa then looked back at Sebastian, “You gentlemen have a nice evening.” She walked away without another word.

“What was that all about?”

Sebastian chuckled, “She was hitting on me at the pool earlier. Let’s just say Tessa did not like it, and staked her claim. She does a very good angry Tinkerbell, and can roll her eyes just like her Daddy.”

Kurt was biting both of his lips between his teeth, trying not to laugh. He looked at Tessa, who rolled her eyes again, and he couldn’t hold it in. Once his laughter settled, he looked at his daughter, “Well, Tess, thanks for helping me out.” He knew he had to talk to her about the whole rolling her eyes thing, but for now, he was going to let it slide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! I love writing Tessa and Seb together. Let me know in the comments. Kudos are awesome too!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Changes are good! Things are looking up for Kurt and Tessa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who do not read my other works, I'm sorry I've been gone so long! But...Why don't read my other works lol? If you do read them, you know where I've been...In the world of weddings and honeymoons. Well, now it's time to give Kurt and his best girl some love. Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's short, but sweet.

The next morning, the four of them met for breakfast in the Smythe suite. Kurt was little floored by it’s luxury, but didn’t say anything. 

When they were finished, Oliver said, “I’m flying out in a little bit. I’ll be in contact.” He called Kurt’s new phone. “That’s the number I will always call from. I won’t do anything until I’ve met with all of my associates, as well as the secretaries and security. I want us all on the same page, and for everyone to be aware of the importance of this staying confidential.”

“I really appreciate you helping me more that I can possibly tell you.”

He stood, “It was really nice meeting you, Kurt.” He looked to Tess, “And you, Tessa.” He grabbed his bag that was already waiting at the door, “Seb… Please don’t be a stranger.”

Sebastian stood hugged him tight, “I’ll do my best. Thank you, Ollie. Really.”

Oliver pulled away a bit so he could look at Sebastian, “Remember your end of the deal.”

Seb rolled his eyes, “Yeah, I remember.”

With a quick wave back to Kurt and Tess, Oliver was out the door.

Kurt asked, “Your end of the deal?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah. He agreed to take on your case pro bono as long as kept in touch better and came to visit at least once.”

“Sebastian…” Kurt didn’t know what to say.

“It’s fine, Kurt. I promise. I should’ve planned on seeing them soon anyway.”

“I just assumed Oliver would bill me later. I had no idea. Thank you for doing something you don’t want to, just so we could get the help we needed. That was really nice of you. It really could be a good thing, couldn’t it?”

“Maybe,” he nodded. He paused a bit, then said, “You know, I’d do whatever it took to help you both.”

Kurt wanted to cry. He wanted to curl into Sebastian and have him hold him until he felt whole again. He knew he couldn’t do that without being unfair to Sebastian. He deserved a normal, loving relationship, and Kurt knew he couldn’t give him that until things were settled. Until then, he would settle for being put back together piece by piece. He took a deep breath, sighing as he said the only thing he could think of, “Thank you.”

~

  
  


After breakfast they explored the town a little. They went into a few shops, and Sebastian took them to the park so Tessa could play in the splash pad. They had a great day, an early dinner, then headed for home. Kurt couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled so much.

……………..

The following evening, Kurt got a call from Oliver. 

“Hey, Kurt. I just wanted to let you know they I met with everyone at my office; lawyers, secretaries, and building security. We’re going to get the ball rolling now.”

“Thanks Oliver. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. I’m still scared to death, but at least we’re headed in the right direction.”

“Try not to worry too much. I think this will be an open and shut case once we get there.”

“Okay. Thanks, Oliver. Take care.”

“You too, Kurt. Give Tessa a hug for me.”

Kurt smiled at that when he hung up. He turned to Tessa, “Want to go for a walk?”

She nodded enthusiastically, and they headed out the door.

………………………

Two weeks later, Oliver called again. “Good news, Kurt!”

Kurt felt a little hopeful, “Oh yeah?”

“Yep. You are a single man. Now go date my brother.”

Kurt chuckled, “Gee, don’t be subtle at all, Oliver.”

“Well, even I could feel the chemistry between you two. Obviously we both understand if you aren’t ready. But when you are, I look forward to seeing you more.”

“Well, no promises, but like I said before, I won’t wait forever. And I think Tessa is ready for him to be a permanent fixture around here.” He paused for a few seconds. Doubtful, he asked, “So he really just signed the divorce papers without any issue?”

“Yeah. I had my most intimidating guy take them over. Hopefully that’s a good sign.”

“I hope so, too. For some reason, I still don’t feel like this is over yet, though.”

“That’s pretty common, Kurt. You may feel like you’re always looking over your shoulder. Hopefully you don’t, but at least now you can try to move on. You and Tessa Bisset.”

Kurt raised his brows, “Can we do that now? Officially?”

“You sure can. Just take those papers I gave you down to the courthouse. I’ve already called and they are going to put your case at the top of their list. Once that’s official, you can open credit cards, get a security system, better phone, or whatever you need. Congratulations, Kurt Bisset.”

Kurt felt a bit lighter, “Thanks so much, Oliver.”

…………...

Three weeks later, Sebastian was once again applying Arnica Ointment to Kurt’s bruises, “As much as I’ll miss seeing you in the morning, I don’t think you need this anymore, Kurt. They look so much better.”

Kurt’s stomach did a little flip. He realized that seeing Sebastian every morning was his favorite part of the day, and he didn’t want it to end. He took a steadying breath, nervous about what he was about to say. He turned around, “You...you could still come over if you want. You seem to tolerate my coffee. I...Having you hear each morning is my favorite part of my day.” It had been a long time since he had feelings like this, and just as long since he took the leap of faith expressing them. He was so anxious about it, and it felt like an eternity between his last word, and Sebastian’s response.

Sebastian’s stomach had also done a flip, but his was from excitement instead of nerves. He smiled softly, “I would love that. It’s the best part of my day, too.” He shrugged, winking at Kurt, “I can more than tolerate your coffee.”

They both smiled, and both seemed to just be realizing their closeness in proximity, since he didn’t back up when he turned around. Kurt was surprised at how comfortable he seemed. Sebastian just really wanted to kiss him, but knew he wasn’t ready for that. 

He cleared his throat, “I should be going. So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

Kurt nodded, the smile growing on his face, “Yeah. That would be great.” 

Sebastian nodded, not taking his eyes off of Kurt. Biting back the desire to kiss him, he turned toward the door. Once reached it, he turned, only to find Kurt right there behind him. He chuckled a bit at his own surprise, “Have a great day. Give Tess a hug from me.”

Kurt smiled, thinking about how he sounded like his brother, “I will.”

~

After lunch, Kurt sat on the couch with Tessa in his lap. He was reading her the book _Harry The Dirty Dog_. When he finished, he closed the book and sighed. He frowned a bit, “Tess… how do you feel about getting a dog?” He laughed when Tess turned in his lap to stare at him with eyes bigger than he had ever seen on her. She nodded like her life depended on it. “Okay, well, I’ll take that as a yes.” She continued to nod, causing her curls to bounce all over the place. 

Kurt lifted the book and put it on the couch dramatically, “Well, then let’s go!”

She ran to the door to put her shoes on. He grabbed his wallet, then headed to the door to put his shoes on too. Only a minute later, they were in the car. Kurt looked up the location of the closest animal shelter, and they hit the road. 

As they drove, he said, “Tess, they might have dogs there that aren’t quite right for us. So we may not bring home a new doggie today, okay? But if we find the perfect fit, we will.” He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw her nod her head again.

They arrived at the shelter in Harrison, and went in hand in hand. Tessa was skipping, and practically dragging Kurt behind her. 

“Can I help you?” An older lady with grey hair asked.

Kurt smiled, “I hope so. We’d like to get a dog. Hopefully you have one that’s a good fit for us.”

She lit up, “Well I hope so too! Come on, I’ll take you back to the kennels.”

As they walked back to the area of the shelter that had the kennels, she asked, “Do you have any specific needs or wants?”

“Um, well, I guess we do. I don’t really care what breed, age, or even size. But we’ve, uh, been through a lot. So a dog that his gentle and patient will be great.” He quietly spoke to the women, “My daughter doesn’t talk at the moment. She has trauma induced mutism. I’m hoping having a dog will help change that. I...I would also like it to be protective? I don’t know if a dog like that exists, but if does, it would be perfect.”

She nodded in understanding, “I have a couple of dogs in mind that I would like to introduce you to, but I’d like you to take a look around first. One may call out to you. You never know.”

He and Tessa walked through the kennels. The dogs all started going nuts. They barked and jumped at the fencing that separated them. Kurt felt bad for them all, but at the same time, he was starting to second guess his desires. It was a bit overwhelming.

Until they turned the corner.

Among kennel after kennel of jumping and barking dog, there was one that he assumed was going to be empty once they reached it. But instead, there stood a beautiful mixed breed dog, with bright blue eyes, lined black. She was the size of a labrador, her fur was medium length, and the color of a golden retriever or yellow lab. The acception was a nearly white muzzle that continued up between her eyes, and one nearly while front paw. The fur on her ears was a bit longer. He smiled as he noticed one ear stuck straight up, and the other flopped over.

The dog wagged her tail. Kurt could have sworn she was smiling as she tilted her head and looked back at them with her pink tongue hanging out.

He walked up to the kennel, and the dog sat. He read the paper hanging from the fencing. “Paisley” was a 2 years old mix breed, and was surrendered due to “unforeseen circumstances” by the previous owner. She was potty trained, and knew the basic commands, like sit, stay, come, leave it, and drop.

Kurt looked down at Tessa, who was smiling wide, “Do you want to meet her? The paper says her name is Paisley.”

Tessa grabbed Kurt’s hand and nodded enthusiastically. 

They went to get the lady, and told her which dog they’d like to meet. “Can you tell us anything about her?” Kurt asked as they stood at the desk and watched the volunteer get the keys she needed.

“She was turned in to us a couple of weeks ago by a young woman who had to move back to the east coast to take care of her sick mother. Her mother is allergic, and she doesn’t know anyone who could take her. She cried when she left her. I have a feeling Paisley was very loved. It’s an unfortunate situation. She’s one of the two I was going to introduce you to. If a dog being an ‘old soul’ is a thing, Paisley fits the description to a T. She loves to play, but knows her limits, and yours.”

“She’s beautiful, and she’s the only one not going crazy at the moment.”

“Yes, she seems very calm. I don’t know if you can count on her for protection, but she’s very gentle, and I think she’ll be good for your daughter. Let’s take her out to the yard.” 

The shelter had a fenced in yard with some benches for people to play with their potential pets. The volunteer put a leash on her, and when she exited the kennel, she went right up to Tessa and sat in front of her. She giggled and looked up at Kurt. 

He smiled at her, “Hold out your hand and let her smell you. That’s how dogs get to know you.”

Tess held out her hand and Paisley sniffed it, then licked her. Tessa giggled again, pulling her hand back and cradling it to her chest..

When they got outside, the volunteer took the leash off Paisley. Kurt was surprised that she didn’t take off running. She seemed to only want to be where Tessa was. 

The volunteer smiled, “I think it was meant to be.”

They played fetch with her, sat and gave her lovin, and tested out the basic commands. Kurt could tell that Tessa was in love with Paisley already, and vice versa. He smiled at the volunteer, “Well, I think you know where this is going.”

She laughed, “I’m so glad. Are you sure you don’t want to see the other dog I had in mind?”

“No, I think her heart is set on Paisley.”

Smiling she motioned toward the door, “Let’s go fill out the paperwork.”

Kurt and Tessa ended up taking Paisley home with them that day, using a leash that the shelter donated. They stopped at Petsmart and Kurt let Tessa pick out a leash, collar, bed, and dog dishes. 

He showed her one, “Look, Tess. See this design? Those are called paisleys, just like Paisley’s name.”

Tess grabbed the color out of Kurt’s hand and inspected it closely. It was different shades of indigos, blues and purples. She nodded, then threw it in the cart, making Kurt chuckle. She chose a purple leash that coordinated. 

The rest of the evening was spent playing with Paisley and her new toys, going for walks, and getting her settled. Kurt really wanted to call Sebastian and tell him their exciting news, but thought it might be fun to surprise him with her in the morning when he came over for coffee.

As Kurt went to get Paisley and put her to bed, he found her and Tessa both in bed. 

“Did you brush your teeth and go potty?” 

She nodded ‘yes’.

“I’m going to take Paisley to the backyard so she can potty too. Then she needs to go to bed soon.” Tess nodded again. “Goodnight Sweet Pea.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Kurt took Paisley outside to their fenced in backyard. He sat in a chair and watched her sniff around the yard and do her business. She came over and sat in front of him. 

He smiled softly as he stroked her head, “You’re a good girl, aren’t you? I have a feeling you’re going to be just what Tessa and I need.” He smiled bigger when she laid her head on his lap, “You totally understand me, don’t you?”

When they went inside, they snuggled on the couch for a while. When Kurt was tired enough, he locked the door, and set the alarm on their new security system they had installed the week before. He started to put Paisley to bed, but she ran up the stairs. He followed, and smiled when he saw that she had nudged Tessa’s door open and laid at the foot of her bed.

He went to her and pet her gently, “Okay. You take care of our girl. But I reserve the right to not let this happen again if you do anything you aren't supposed to.” Paisley looked up at him as if she understood, and promised to behave. 

…………………

Kurt woke up super excited. He couldn’t wait for Sebastian to meet Paisley. She had done just fine with Tessa overnight. Kurt knew they were up when he heard Tess giggling. They took her to the back yard, made breakfast, then started a pot of coffee. 

When Sebastian knocked on the door, Kurt sent Tessa and Paisley to the back yard. He opened the door with a huge smile on his face, “Good morning!”

Sebastian smiled, “You sure are happy today. It’s nice to see.”

Kurt nodded, “Yep. The security system makes me feel much more relaxed, but we got something even better that has brightened our moods…”

They stepped inside and headed toward the kitchen, “What’s that?”

Kurt handed him a cup of coffee, “There’s someone I want you to meet. Come on.” 

They stepped out to the back yard and saw Tessa playing with her new dog. 

Kurt smiled, “Sebastian, meet Paisley!” He turned to look at Sebastian and chuckled when he saw his expression. His eyes were wide and the smile looked like a kid on Christmas morning. He set the coffee down on the patio table, walked over and squatted down, “Hi Paisley!” She licked his face and he laughed. 

Kurt caught himself thinking as he watched the three of them together, that he could enjoy this view for the rest of his life if things worked out with Sebastian. He may need to do something about his feelings sooner than later. There was no way he could deny himself a man like Sebastian. He felt like himself again. He was healing, and healing well. He couldn’t chance letting Sebastian slip through his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought! I love kind comments, and I appreciate the kudos a ton!


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt didn’t wait too long. A couple of weeks later, he just couldn’t keep it in. Sebastian had been over for morning coffee, and before he left for work that day, Kurt pulled him aside. He took a deep breath, “Sebastian…” He looked down as he paused. 

Sebastian frowned a bit and rubbed Kurt’s arm, “Hey, are you okay? What’s the matter?”

Kurt smiled a little and shook his head, “I’m just nervous.”

Frowning deeper, Sebastian asked, “About what? Paisley? She seems to be doing great.”

Kurt chuckled nervously a little, “No, not Paisley. About you. Us.”

Sebastian removed his hand from Kurt’s arm, suddenly unsure if he was allowed to touch. The loss of the touch was what motivated Kurt to push forward, “You’re my best friend.”

Without realizing it, Sebastian physically took a step back. His mind was racing,  _ Here it is. This is where he tells me that I’m such a good friend and doesn’t want to hurt that friendship. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life wondering how it was that I let the possible love of my life slip away. No. I won’t let that happen. I’m- _

His thoughts were cut off when Kurt continued, “I think of you when I wake up, and when I go to sleep. I wonder how your day is going throughout the day. I find myself smiling out of nowhere, and I always realize that I’m thinking of you when that happens. I know I come with a lot… A lot of baggage, a daughter,” he huffed out a laugh, “and now a dog. But… I don’t want to be just friends anymore. I know you probably think it’s too fast but-” Kurt was speaking quickly like he wouldn’t get it all out if he took his time. 

Sebastian stepped close again, his heart doing flips in his chest, “Kurt…” He put his hand back on Kurt’s arm, which made Kurt calm down and close his eyes. “Kurt, are you saying...Are you saying you would like us to date?”

“No.”

Sebastian frowned, and nearly retreated again, but he saw the look on Kurt’s face. He was trying really hard to express how he felt, and he needed to give him time.

“No, I feel like we already do that, in a way. We spend a lot of time together, and do a lot of things together. I just...I just want you to be my boyfriend. I want an ‘us’ that’s more than friendship.” Kurt was looking down and worried his lip between his teeth. He wasn’t normally shy, but it had been years since he had had to do something like this. And wasn’t sure he had ever had to do it with someone he felt so strongly about.

When Kurt looked up through his lashes at Sebastian, the first thing he noticed was the curl of his lips as he began to smile. The smile grew bigger with each passing second. He looked up into his eyes, which were crinkling in the corners. He saw nothing but love and kindness, and his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. 

“I would be honored to be your boyfriend, Kurt. I would hope you know by now how I feel about you and Tessa. She’s a bonus, for sure. And I’ve known since the beginning that you were someone that could make me happy. And you do.”

Kurt smiled as his heart soared, “Oh. So…Can I kiss my boyfriend?”

Sebastian smiled and moved even closer, “It would be a dream come true.” He put a hand on Kurt’s cheek, stroking it with his thumb. He looked him in his eyes, then looked down at his lips. He leaned in and Kurt reached around and put his hands on Sebastian’s back.

When their lips met, both men melted into each other. Sebastian pulled him even closer, holding him protectively in his arms. Kurt hummed as his hands became buried in Sebastian’s hair, then he deepened the kiss. 

Kurt was pretty sure the kiss would have gone on for a long time if wasn’t for a giggle they heard coming from about 10 feet away. They both smiled and chuckled as they pulled apart. They turned to look, and Tessa was standing there smiling at them. Paisley was watching them too, with an adorable tilt of her head.

Sebastian smiled at Tessa, then looked back at Kurt, “I’ll leave you two to chat. I really need to get to work. Not that I’m going to be able concentrate on anything.”

Kurt chuckled, then turned to his new boyfriend, “Okay. Have a good day.”

Sebastian nodded, then turned to walk away as he called over his shoulder, “Oh, trust me, it’s the best day ever!” Kurt laughed as Sebastian high fived a smiling, giggly, Tessa on his way out the door.

Kurt locked the front door, set the alarm, then turned to Tessa, motioning to the couch, “Have a seat, Baby Girl.”

She hopped up on the couch and looked at him expectantly as he sat facing her from middle cushion.

“I just wanted you to know that Sebastian is my boyfriend now. How do you feel about that?”

She smiled, bounced in her spot a little as she clapped her hands a few times. 

He smiled back, “I’m glad you’re happy about it. He’s a special man, and he cares about both of us a lot.” She nodded. “Okay, why don’t you go put your swimsuit on, with shorts over top. We’re meeting Blaire and the triplets at the splash pad in an hour, then we’re going to have a picnic with them in the park. They finally get to meet Paisley!” 

Tessa ran out of the room excitedly, and all Kurt could think about is how great things were turning out. It made him a little nervous. He had never had everything be so perfect before, and he was afraid something was going to go wrong, as it always seemed to. But he pushed those feelings down, and tried his hardest to just be happy.

When Sebastian got to work, Mel was waiting for him on the sidewalk by the front door, “I was wondering if you were going to show up.” 

He smiled from ear to ear, “I’m here!”

She narrowed her eyes as he unlocked the door, “Mhmm…..What’s up with you? Did you get lucky?”

He held the door open for her and gave her a look that was supposed to be one of disappointment, but he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face enough to pull it off, “I did get lucky, but not in the way you’re referring to. I officially have a boyfriend. Kurt and I are finally together.”

“Awwe, I’m so happy for you. I could tell you really like him and Tessa both.”

“I do. I really, really do.”

Mel giggled and shook her head, “Okay. Are you going to be able handle work today, or are you going to be a love struck puppy all day?”

Sebastian smiled, “I can handle work. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.”

“Oooh, a kinda sorta compliment. This could benefit us all.”

~

Not a lot had changed for Kurt and Sebastian. Their friends were super excited that they had gotten together. They were hopeful that it would get there eventually, but they were happy that it was now official. Sebastian still came over for coffee every morning, and they often had dinner together. They were still taking Tessa to the park, or watching movies together. It was all very domestic, and they were all thriving. The biggest change was being able to touch freely, kiss each other, and be more open about their feelings. 

One afternoon when Kurt and Sebastian were sitting in the backyard, watching Tessa and Paisley play, Sebastian asked, “What are you thinking about? You seem deep in thought.”

Kurt looked back at him, “Just how Tessa is so much more vocal now. She isn’t speaking, but she makes noises and giggles a lot more. I mean, that all started with you. But now, it just increases more and more. Adopting Paisley has helped too.”

“Paisley is really good with her. And vice versa.”

Kurt nodded, “I’m so glad we got her. I feel better with her around too. And when Tess starts school this fall, having her in the house will help me not feel so alone.”

Sebastian looked over him and grabbed his hand. They both silently looked back out to watch Tess and Paisley’s playful interactions. 

The three of them went to the 4th of July Parade and Festival together. After the parade was over, they tried their hand at the carnival games, and Kurt won Tessa a stuffed frog. She clapped and giggled as he handed it over to her. He and Sebastian walked hand in hand through the crowd, and the townspeople smiled a knowing smile at them. Those who had seen them together knew it was meant to be. 

As they approached Mama J’s booth, she smiled wide, “Oh, what a sight to behold! I am so happy for the two of you.”

“Thanks, Mama J,” Sebastian smiled. 

They ordered their food and sat on a bench eating as they watched the town celebrate Independence Day. 

“This town really is special. I am so thankful for fate bringing us here,” Kurt said as he finished his food. 

“Me too. It’s very healing.”

Autumn brought a lot of changes. Kurt had enrolled Tessa in Kindergarten. She was doing really well, and would hum some answers like “mhmm”, and “uh-uh”. It was progress. She loved her teacher, and Kurt was loving seeing her make some more friends.

Kurt and Sebastian were doing great. He and Tessa would walk with Sebastian and Paisley after their morning coffee, say goodbye in front of the shop with a chase kiss, then continue on to the elementary school. It became a pleasant routine that Kurt soaked up and enjoyed for as long as the weather would allow. 

In October, Oliver made another attempt to press charges against Dan, he was nowhere to be found. Seemed he was on the run too. Kurt was on edge about it for a while, but he couldn’t really do anything but live the best life he could. He couldn’t keep running. It was safer to stay put with a new name on the other side of the country. Sebastian did a really good job of keeping him calm and settling his nerves.

By November, Kurt had finished his book and was pretty certain that it was ready for the publisher. Sebastian sat on Kurt’s couch after dinner and read it, just as he had for a few previous nights. Kurt watched him concentrate on the words with his glasses perched on his nose. Tessa sat with one of her own books open in her lap, even though she was fast asleep. She was safely tucked under Sebastian’s arm and a blanket. Kurt watched as Sebastian turned the page, not taking his eyes off the papers in front of him, all while doing his best not to disturb Tessa. Kurt wasn’t sure he had ever seen anything so sexy. He knew if he wasn’t in love before, he was now. 

Suddenly, Sebastian’s eyes widened as he read. “Oh my gosh,” he whispered, continuing to read.

A few minutes later he sucked in a breath, smiled, and whispered, “No way!”

Kurt tried to make himself busy as Sebastian read, but he was so fun to watch, he just couldn’t help it.

“Babe, this is so good,” Sebastian said as he continued. He didn’t even look up.

“Thanks,” Kurt said quietly. 

Finally, Sebastian finished. He closed the pages on his lap and took a deep breath. Kurt watched, anxious to hear what he had to say. Sebastian looked at him, “I think that was your best one yet. Seriously, Kurt. It’s so good. I think it’s ready.”

Kurt smiled and preened a little at the praise, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I loved it.”  _ Just like I love you _ , the thought. He leaned forward and put the manuscript on the coffee table, “I’ll put Tessa to bed. You need to get this ready to mail.”

Kurt smiled as he watched Sebastian move the book from her lap and scoop her up to take her upstairs.

Once he had the final draft mailed to his publisher the next day, he took some time to relax and be a little lazy at home. He caught up on movies that were too grown up for Tessa. The “me time” was well deserved, and very appreciated.

What Kurt didn’t know was that Dan was actively looking for him, and had been stalking Miss Barnes, the editor that Kurt worked with through the publishing company. He followed her day after day, week after week. He was hoping that she would have a secret meeting with Kurt. He knew he was working on another book. It had to be finished soon. It just had to.

When nothing came of the stalking by December, he made his move. He followed her to her office one day and waited. He knew from his observations that she often stayed late, and today was no exception. When he was fairly certain that everyone else in the office was gone, he made his way to her office on the third floor. 

Miss Barnes was a pretty woman in her 30’s. She had brown hair and eyes that lit up when she smiled. She was typing away when she heard a noise. She frowned a bit, shook her head. She heard it again. 

She called out, “Rick, is that you? You need to get home before that pretty wife of yours calls again.” She got up and walked toward the door, “Don’t make her wait two nights in a row….” Rick’s door was closed and the lights were off. She had chills and the hairs on her arms stood on end. 

She sucked in a breath when she felt something hard against the back of her head.

“You are going to tell me where to find Kurt Shephard, or I’m gonna pull this trigger,” Dan growled.

Miss Barnes began to shake, “I...I no longer work with Kurt Shephard.”

“Bullshit. I know he was working on his next book in the series. I know he’d be finished by now.”

She squeezed her eyes tight, not knowing what to do. She knew Kurt had left the city, and she really didn’t want to give his location away, but she also didn’t want to die. “Please. You can check my computer. There is no Kurt Shephard in my contacts.”

Dan shoved the gun into her head a little, “Lead the way, bitch. Show me.”

She walked slowly back to her desk, trying to buy herself time to think. She sat at her desk with Dan standing slightly behind her to her left. She opened her email, and instead of typing “Kurt” into the search window, where it would surely show “Kurt Bisset”, she typed in “Shephard”. Old emails popped up, dating back to a month before Kurt left.

“S-see. Nothing new. I swear.”

Dan frowned, thinking hard. He started to pace back and forth for a bit. Finally he stopped and glared at Miss. Barnes, “You think I’m an idiot! Type in ‘Kurt’.”

With shaky fingers, she typed it. ‘Kurt Bisset’ popped up immediately. He read through the latest email, making sure that it was him. He lowered himself so that his lips were pressed against her ear, “Where. Is. He.”

She shook her head frantically, “I don’t know. I swear. He sent in his final draft via priority mail, with no return address. I really don’t know.”

Dan hit her on the head with the butt of the gun. She slumped down onto her desk, he set off to find his ex husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ugh...I'm sorry....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but I wanted to get something out to you. To my international readers...there is a small dialogue section where they joke about reindeer. It's referring to a song called Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. I don't know...Is that a song people hear in other countries outside of the US?

Christmas had been the best Kurt had ever had. He and Sebastian took Tessa with them to a party at Susan and Tony’s on Christmas Eve. They had a wonderful time eating, drinking, and playing games with their friends and their families. All of the parents changed their kids into pajamas, and Susan had them gather around the fireplace. She read them  _ Twas The Night Before Christmas,  _ then gave them all a small mug with some hot chocolate. 

It didn’t take long, and Tessa climbed into Sebastian’s lap and fell asleep.

“She’s dreaming of sugarplum fairies, I’m sure,” Tony said to Kurt as he caught him silently watching Sebastian and Tessa.

Kurt nodded with a soft smile gracing his lips, “I’m sure. I love that she feels so safe with him….that I feel so safe with him.”

Tony hummed, then answered, “I’ve never seen him this happy, Kurt. I’ve never seen him look at someone the way he looks at the two of you. He loves you.”

“I love him too.”

Tony asked, “Tell me to mind my own business if you want. But, have you told each other that?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, at Thanksgiving. I’ve never felt so relieved to say something in my entire life. I felt like I had been holding in for so long.” He chuckled at his own expense.

“We’re happy for you both. All three of you, actually. Tessa deserves this just as much as you do.”

He smiled, “Thanks, Tony.”

_ After Thanksgiving dinner with Susan and Tony, Kurt and Sebastian returned to Kurt’s house with Tessa in tow. Kurt put her to bed, then joined Sebastian on the couch. Sebastian wrapped his arm around him, then pulled him closer to kiss him. _

_ “You know, we all said what we were thankful for, and I want you to know that I mean what I said. I couldn’t be more thankful for you and Tessa. I am so grateful that you’ve accepted me into your life, and allowed me to be in hers as well.” Kurt looked at him with tears in his eyes. Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s cheek and kissed him gently. When he pulled back, he softly confessed, “I love you, Kurt. I always have.” _

_ Kurt kissed him again, then rested his forehead against Sebastian’s, “I love you, too. I can’t even begin to express how much I love you.” His heart soared as Sebastian held him a little tighter. He had never known a man so wonderful, or a love that felt so amazing. _

When they got home to Kurt’s house that night, Sebastian took a sleeping Tessa up to her bed while Kurt let Paisley outside to do her business. When Sebastian came back down, he found Kurt in the kitchen.

“Tess is all tucked in. Luckily, she didn’t wake up in the slightest.”

“Good. I think the triplets wore her out. Or she just crashed from her sugar high.” He looked back at Sebastian, “Speaking of which, how are you feeling?”

“Good. I behaved myself.” He leaned over and kissed his boyfriend, then got out two wine glasses and a bottle of red from the fridge.

He held up the glasses and raised an eyebrow, silently asking Kurt if he wanted some. He nodded his answer.

“I have a couple of ‘Santa gifts’ to wrap for Tessa. Care to join me in the living room?”

“Sure. I’ll join you anywhere, any time.”

Kurt smiled at him, then went to get the gifts. 

Two glasses of wine later, they finally finished wrapping the presents. There were only two from Santa, but between laughing, drinking, talking, and kissing...It took a while. 

“Okay,” Sebastian said eventually, “I better head out before I get run over by a reindeer on my way home.”

“You’re not a grandma, that won’t happen. Besides, I want you to stay. Please?”

Sebastian felt warm inside, and it wasn’t because of the wine, “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose on Christmas morning.”

Kurt nodded, “I’m more than sure. I don’t think it would feel right without you here. Please stay.”

“I would love to.”

  
  


The next morning, Tess woke up first and ran into Kurt’s room, and jumped on the bed.

“Oof,” Sebastian grunted. He smiled up at Tessa, “Did Santa come?”

She hadn’t been downstairs, but nodded enthusiastically anyway. 

“Well,” Kurt smiled, “then I guess we better go see what he left you!”

She jumped down and turned to make sure they were coming as she bounced in the doorway.

Sebastian chuckled, “We’re coming.”

When they got to the living room, Tessa excitedly pointed to the empty plate and glass where Santa had obviously enjoyed his treat. There was a note there and she picked it up and gave it to Kurt.

He read, “Dear Tessa. You have been such a good little girls this year. I loved the milk and cookies, and I really appreciate you leaving carrots of the reindeer. They loved them, and wanted me to tell you ‘thank you’ for them. Merry Christmas. Love, Santa.” 

Her eyes were wide, and she bounced a little, making her curls bounce too. Kurt and Sebastian happily watched her open her gifts, then exchanged their own. 

Kurt made some coffee and breakfast while Sebastian helped Tessa open some of the packaging of her new toys. They sat down and ate together, then headed down to the park to go sled riding. The rest of the day was spent watching movies, cuddling on the couch under blankets. Sebastian looked at Kurt, Tessa, and Paisley, and wasn’t sure he could have asked for a more perfect holiday.

* * *

Kurt was loving having Tessa home with him during the days during Winter Break. They played, crafted, read, watched movies, went on little adventures together. Paisley was usually right there in the mix of everything. 

On the Monday after New Year’s Kurt and Tessa decided to go to Mama J’s for lunch. Because of the weather, Kurt drove. He parked just down the street, and he and Tessa walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. They were nearly at the diner when Bob, from the local deli, spotted them.

“Well hello, Kurt and Tessa! How was your Christmas?”

“Great. The turkey we got from you was perfection. How was your holiday?”

“Just peachy. My wife says I ate enough cookies to give Santa a run for his money.” He patted his belly and Tessa giggled. 

Kurt started moving toward the diner, and turned back to respond to Bob, “Well, now I’m guessing I know what your New Year’s resolution is?”

Bob laughed and nodded, “You got it!”

Kurt smiled and waved as Bob turned to the other direction. He opened the door to Mama J’s and froze in his tracks just inside the door.

“Hello, Dear husband.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide and squeezed Tessa’s hand quick before letting go, “Run, Tess. Now.”

Tessa looked scared, but took off out the door. 

Kurt glared at Dan, “I’m not your husband.”

“Is there a problem, Kurt? You okay, Honey?” Mama J asked, worry clear in her voice.

A few other patrons had stopped and watched. Kurt and Dan had not taken their eyes off each other. 

“There’s no problem, is there, Kurt? All you need to do is come home, and we all leave here happy.”

“My home is here. I’m not going anywhere. Especially with an abusive piece of shit like you. Leave.” Kurt was spitting his words out, face red with anger.

As soon as the word “abusive” came out of his mouth, a couple of truckers that were seated at a table stood. Mama J started to reach for a phone.

Dan pulled a gun out and aimed it at her, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She put her hands up as some the patrons whimpered and even hid under the tables. 

Kurt swallowed, dreading where this was going now that Dan had a gun, “Dan. Please. You’ll get in so much more trouble. These are good people. Leave them be. Just walk out of here, and we’ll pretend like none of it ever happened. I swear.”

Dan now had the gun pointed at Kurt, who raised his hands. “We’re going out the back. Move. Now.”

Kurt slowly started walking toward Dan.

Tessa had run straight for Brookville Hardware, just one block down on the other side of the street. She ran inside, and looked for Sebastian. He was just coming out of the back room and froze, wide-eyed when he saw her and the look on her face. 

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Concern dripping from his voice. He quickly made his way to her and leaned down, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She took a couple of short breaths. The tears in her eyes began to spill over and she pointed in the direction of the diner. “H….H-Help Daddy.”

Sebastian’s frowned, “Is daddy hurt? Where is he?”

“F-Found us. M-mama’s…”she cried. 

Fear shot through Sebastian and he grabbed her shoulders and firmly spoke, “Stay here, Tess. It’s going to be okay.” He headed for the door, “Mel!! Watch Tess. Lock up, hide, and don’t leave until I call you.”

“You got it,” she said, quickly following him to the door to lock it behind him as he ran out into the cold. She grabbed Tessa, “It’s going to be okay, Sweetie. Let’s go to the back room.” Luckily, the store was empty when Tessa came in. She and Mel stayed in the office with the door shut. Mel grabbed her phone and called 911.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger. I promise not to make you wait too long for an update. Please let me know what you thought! Kind comments and kudos are amazing!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation with Dan at Mama J's Diner. Will Kurt be able to get free, or will Dan take him with him?

“911. What is your emergency?”

“There’s trouble at Mama J’s Diner in downtown Brookville.” She looked at Tessa and to confirm. Tessa just watched her, and the scared look on her face broke Mel’s heart. “Please send help right away. Someone is in trouble. His daughter came into my work asking for help.”

“Police and fire units are being dispatched. Help is on the way. Where are you located? Does the daughter need help?”

“She’s okay. We’re in Brookville Hardware, and I’ve locked us in. She’s my boss’ boyfriend’s daughter. Please, just send help to Mama J’s. Her dad’s name is Kurt. My boss, Sebastian, went to help.” Mel didn’t know it was Kurt’s ex. She didn’t even know there was an ex, especially one that was abusive. Sebastian would never tell Kurt’s history without his permission, and there was no reason she needed to know. She had no idea what was happening down at the diner, but she did know that Tessa didn’t normally speak, and Sebastian was terrified. So, whatever it was, it was big.

“They are already in route. Stay put. I’ll let the officers know.”

Kurt had slowly walked over toward Dan while the rest of the patrons either hid or stood with their hands raised. Dan had grabbed Kurt when he got close enough, turning him and throwing his arm around the front of him so that Kurt’s neck was in the crook of his elbow. He was backing them up toward the kitchen, gun pressing into Kurt’s side. 

Dan growled in his ear, “You thought you could get away? You thought I wouldn’t find you?” He tightened his grip.

Kurt threw his hands to Dan’s arm, trying to pull it away from his throat some. Fear ripped through him, but he was trying to keep a level head enough to get out of this situation. He had begun to doubt he could. 

Sebastian ran faster than he ever had before. Fear for the love of his life drove him. He couldn’t let Kurt’s ex hurt him again. When he got to the diner, he flung the door open and his heart felt like it was beating out of chest. “Kurt!” he called, before he could even fully comprehend what was happening. 

When Sebastian called his name, the first thing Kurt thought was that Sebastian was going to get hurt. Tears finally escaped and slid down his cheeks.

After hearing Kurt’s name being called by this stranger, Dan turned the gun on Sebastian, and Kurt feared he was right. Dan growled, “Stay where you are!”

Sebastian’s eyes widened and he froze, hands in the air, “Please. Let him go.”

Dan huffed out a laugh, “Then who would keep my bed warm at night?”

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look at Sebastian, and afraid of what he might see. 

Sebastian begged, “Take me instead. Please let him go. Tessa needs him.”

“Keep her. I never wanted the brat in the first place.”

Anger battled the fear inside Kurt, and he wasn’t sure which one was going to win. How could someone say such a thing about his precious daughter? He knew it was true. He knew Dan never wanted her, but it still hurt and angered him to hear. The look on Sebastian’s face said he was feeling the same way. Tessa was a gift. How could someone think otherwise?

Dan stepped back a step, pulling Kurt with him, and the fear won in Kurt’s internal battle. He opened his eyes to look at Sebastian, “Take care of her, please.”

Sebastian nodded, seeing what was happening behind Kurt, “I promise I will. But I’ll take care of you, too.”

Dan took one more step backwards, then felt the cold, hard, metal of a gun against his head.

Alex Bailey, a young ex-Marine who was on Tony’s town maintenance crew, had been in the restroom when Kurt entered the diner. Alex had known Sebastian ever since he returned from service, and he had met Kurt and Tessa a couple of times at Tony and Susan’s barbecues.

As he started to exit the restroom, his military training was coming back to him full force. He noticed a change in the noise of the diner. It wasn't the hum of idle chit chat that was typical of a restaurant. Things had gone quiet, but not silent. He could hear distress in the voices speaking. He slowly cracked open the door and peaked out into the main dining room as best he could. He could see Mama J with her hands up. He silently took out his glock that he had a conceal and carry license for. 

He saw Mama J look at him, only turning her eyes his way. He shook his head, silently begging her to stay quiet and not give him away as he inched toward Dan. When he saw Sebastian, his heart sped up a little, knowing it was someone he knew that was in trouble. Hearing Kurt’s trembling words confirmed his guess of who. He looked around for Tessa, but didn’t see her. He saw Sebastian notice him and gave him a little nod, letting him know he was ready to take action.

Alex crept forward, gun drawn and resting easily in his hands. When Dan took a step back, dragging Kurt with him, he pressed the gun into his head. “Lower your weapon.”

Dan didn’t move.

Alex shoved it into his head a bit, “Now.”

For the first time, Sebastian saw fear flash across Dan’s face.

Dan held his hand with the gun out to the side, fingers splayed out as much as he could, and slowly started to lower it. He laid the gun down on a half wall that separated the booths from the counter seating. As soon as his hand was in the air again, one of the truckers came forward and picked up the gun by the barrel with a napkin, moving it back to his table, then stepped away. They could hear sirens coming.

“Smart choice,” Alex said, “Now, let Kurt go.”

Dan refused, and tightened his grip, causing Kurt to desperately claw at Dan’s arm so he’d release him.

“Just because you put the gun down, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have just cause in shooting you. Let him go. Otherwise we’ll see just how well the Marines trained me. Let’s see if I flinch when I pull the trigger.”

Dan loosened his grip on Kurt, and when he was able, Kurt wiggled his way out from under his arm and ran straight to Sebastian. He collided into him with such force that Sebastian nearly toppled over, and the two men held onto each other tightly. Both were crying tears of relief. 

“You’re okay, Babe. I’ve got you now. You’re okay. I love you so much, Kurt.”

Kurt couldn’t say anything back. He was too overwhelmed as he cried on Sebastian’s shoulder. 

“Tessa’s safe. She and Mel and locked in the hardware store. She’s safe.”

While the couple was reuniting, Alex had gotten Dan down on the ground. He had holstered his gun and was holding Dan’s arms behind his back as he laid face down. 

Mama J came and wrapped her arms around Kurt and Sebastian, “Can I get you anything? Water?”

Sebastian was shaking, “Juice, please.”

Kurt pulled away to get a good look at his boyfriend, “Are you okay? Is it your sugar?” He asked worriedly. He took Sebastian’s face into his hands, and Sebastian just nodded. 

One of the patrons that knew Sebastian brought a chair over, “Sit, Sebastian.” 

He didn’t want to let go of Kurt, so he pulled him down into his lap, arms still wrapped tightly around him.

“Get the fuck off of him, Kurt. You’re mine.”

Kurt glared at Dan, “I’m _not_ yours. All you are is a ghost from my past who will be nothing but someone’s bitch in prison when Oliver is through with you.”

“You can’t talk to me like that!” Dan yelled, not caring who “Oliver” was.

Alex pushed him into the ground a little harder. He got closer to his ear, “Sounds like he just did. Take his advice and shut up, asshole. Just lay there quietly and think of the amazing life Kurt is living with his boyfriend and beautiful daughter. Think of how happy he is without you.”

“They’ll never accept you here, Kurt. Once they find out you’re a weak fag with no backbone-”

Mama J interrupted him, “Thing is, we know he’s gay, obviously, since he and Sebastian are a couple. And we love them both. He and Tessa belong here. He’s a good man, loving father, a sweet boyfriend, and strong member of this community. So chew on that while you’re behind bars too.”

One of the truckers was waiting outside for the police and when they got there, he explained as quickly as possible what happened as they quickly approached, guns drawn, “He’s been apprehended by a vet, and is restrained on the ground.” 

Officer Berkly entered first, heading straight for Dan. He nodded to Alex, “Nice work.” He holstered his gun, cuffed Dan and led him out to the cruiser, all while Dan yelled things to Kurt. Sebastian held Kurt tighter as Dan passed and turned him away so he wouldn’t have to look at him.

Firemen came in and checked to make sure everyone was okay. Mama J seemed to have Sebastian feeling better with the juice, but they pricked his finger to test his sugar anyway. Police took the gun into evidence, then started taking statements from all of those involved.

Alex made his way over to Kurt once he was finished speaking to an officer, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded and threw his arms around Alex’s neck. He took a deep breath, “Thank you so much, Alex. You saved my life. I have no doubt that he would have killed me. I just can’t thank you enough.”

Alex squeezed back, “I’m grateful I was able to help.” 

As soon as he was able, Sebastian fished out his cell phone. He handed it to Kurt, “Babe, call Mel and tell her everything is okay. She and Tess are locked in the office.” He paused for just a beat, “She spoke, Babe. She spoke.”

Kurt’s eyes widened and a new set of tears welled in his eyes, “What did she say?”

“She struggled and stuttered a bit, but she said, ‘help daddy’ then ‘found us.’ and ‘mama’s’.”

The tears spilled over and Kurt buried his head in Sebastian’s shoulder again. Sebastian held his boyfriend as he cried and did his best to comfort him. 

Mama J rubbed his back a bit, “Oh, honey. She loves you so much. She was so smart going to get Sebastian.”

Kurt nodded, “She loves him, too.”

One of the officers went to get Tessa so she could be with her dad and Sebastian. Kurt had called Mel, and spoke to Tessa over the phone, telling her that an officer was going to get her and how he was so proud of her for getting help.

Mama J made sure the restaurant seemed as normal as possible for when Tessa came, and got her a slice of apple pie and milk ready for her at her favorite counter spot. 

When Tessa came in, she ran straight to Kurt. He grabbed her, picking her up and held her tight, “I’m so proud of you, Tess. You were so brave running like daddy told you, and going to get Sebastian. It’s over, honey. He’ll never be able to hurt us again, I promise. I love you so much, Sweetie.”

Tess had buried her head in Kurt’s shoulder, and was grabbing fist fulls of his shirt in the back as she held on. When Kurt stopped talking, she pulled back to look at him. She grabbed his face in his hands and spoke just above a whisper, “I love you, too, Daddy.”

Kurt choked out a sob, “Oh my god, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

She looked at Sebastian, who had tears freely flowing, “I love you, too.”

He chuckled through his tears, “I love you, too, Tessa. So much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're happy with the way this turned out. Kind comments and kudos are SO appreciated. I need validation, lol.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I have a million reasons why it's been a long time...Work, holidays, birthdays, a pandemic, stress, anxiety, the world falling apart... but a comment from BlackNightSystem made me realize just how long it's been! I promise none of my works will go unfinished.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur of commotion. Between interviews with the police, making sure Sebastian’s sugar was stable, calls to Mel to take care of the store, and calls to Oliver, they were all exhausted by the time they were ready to head home. 

Mama J gave them a bag full of food before she sent them on their way, “Make sure you eat this, Sebastian. Today was scary for more than one reason.”

“I will, Mama J. I promise. Thank you so much for everything.”

Kurt nodded, “I’m so sorry about all of this. Thank you so much for being so kind to us through it all.”

She waved her hand to dismiss his apology, “That’s what people in this town do, Hun. We take care of our own. And as weird as it may seem, I’m glad that of all places that it could have happened, it was here. We had the right combination of people, and I was able to feed my friend when he needed it. For that, I am grateful, too.”

As they left the diner, Sebastian had his arm wrapped protectively around Kurt’s shoulder as Kurt held Tessa tight. He walked them to their car, and waited as Kurt made sure Tessa buckled herself in properly. When Kurt stood, turning to Sebastian again, he asked, “Could you stay with us tonight?”

“Of course. I can come with you now, if you want. Mel has the shop taken care of.”

“Yes, please.”

Sebastian nodded and put his hand on Kurt’s cheek. He spoke gently, “You doing okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah. But I really don’t want to be away from you right now.”

He kissed Kurt on the forehead, “You don’t have to be. Are you okay to drive, or would you like me to?”

“I’ll be okay.”

Sebastian nodded again and went around to get into the passenger seat. When he got in, he turned to look at Tessa. He reached back and put a hand on her knee, “You okay, Sweetie?”

She nodded, then turned to look out the window. She hadn’t said anything since she told them both she loved them. Sebastian was hoping she wasn’t slipping back into silence as she had before. 

When they got home, Paisley greeted them with an excited wag of her tail. Tessa threw herself around her best friends, and Paisley licked her face. 

“I’ll take her outside for a few minutes,” Sebastian said. 

While he was out, Kurt plopped down on the couch and pulled Tessa up into his lap, “Are you sure you’re doing okay, Sweetie?”

She nodded. He internally cringed at the lack of verbal response. 

Once Sebastian was back inside with Paisley, they set the table and grabbed the bag of food. They were so grateful for the meals Mama J had sent them home with. Cooking was the last thing Kurt or Sebastian wanted to do. After dinner, the three of them got in their pajamas and cuddled on the couch with Paisley to watch a movie. It was a decent distraction for Tessa, but Kurt and Sebastian kept watching each other lovingly, constantly touching, and occasionally stealing a kiss or two. Right there in Sebastian’s arms, was where Kurt felt the safest.

Tessa fell asleep during the movie, so Kurt scooped her up and carried her to bed. He turned to Paisley, who had followed behind, “Keep a close eye on her tonight, Paisley.” He pet her a few times as Paisley curled up at the end of Tessa’s bed.

As Kurt and Sebastian laid together that night, the silence was not uncomfortable. It had been a long day, and they had a million things running through their minds. Sebastian had Kurt tucked into his side, head resting on his chest, where Kurt softly drew patterns. Finally, he propped himself up on one elbow, looking at his boyfriend.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Sebastian caressed his cheek briefly, “Sure, beautiful. What is it?”

Kurt looked him the eye, “Will you move in with us?” Sebastian blinked a couple of times, but didn’t say anything. Kurt continued, “I feel safer, more at home, with you here. You, Tessa...You’re my happy place. Whenever you’re at your house, I always long to have you here. You’re my family. I want you here.”

Sebastian was looking at Kurt with nothing but love. He smiled, “You’re my home, Kurt. When I go to my house, it’s to give you space. Or because I feel like you need time with Tessa alone.”

“She misses you when you’re gone.”

Sebastian propped himself up on one elbow to mirror Kurt, “There is nowhere I’d rather be, than here with the two of you.” He paused, “I just don’t want you to feel the need to ask me because of what happened today. I want you to want me here, regardless of that.”

“If fear were the reason I wanted you here, I would have asked you a long time ago. I’m not afraid anymore. Other people, for the first time ever, saw the side of him that I knew so well. And he’s in a jail cell tonight because of that. I’m asking you to live with me because I love you, and I don’t want to spend a minute away from you if it’s not completely necessary.” He leaned forward and kissed Sebastian sweetly.

Sebastian smiled into the kiss, “Then it would be my pleasure. I love you so much.”

Over the next few weeks, Tessa stayed quiet, but not silent. She would say a few things here and there, but not hold a full conversation. Kurt was thrilled, knowing that she had improved and was on the right track. 

Friends and neighbors were continually checking in on them. Several people had brought over some food. Kurt was grateful that they cared so much, but after the first few days, he was glad that it was slowing down. It was almost overwhelming how nice people were being. 

Sebastian had people coming into the shop to check on him as well. Business was picking up a bit, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He was grateful, but he wished it hadn’t been for those reasons.

Sebastian and Kurt worked on packing Sebastian’s clothes and gradually bringing them back to Kurt’s house. He sold any of the kitchen items that were duplicates of what Kurt already had, and packed up the rest to take with him. The biggest thing was the huge amount of books that Sebastian had accumulated.

One night after dinner, Sebastian found Kurt in the living room, staring at the back wall. “You okay, babe?”

He nodded, “Yeah. I think we should buy some shelves that go all the way across the back wall. That way you won’t have to decide which books to bring. You can bring them all.”

Sebastian smiled and kissed Kurt on the side of his neck as he wrapped his arms around him from behind. He looked up at the wall, “I could build some floating shelves. It’d be cheaper, and then we could have the wall color stay exposed.”

“I like that idea.”

“Me too. Thanks for thinking of me and my book obsession.”

Kurt chuckled, “You’re welcome.”

Within a month, all of the things Sebastian wanted to keep had been moved to Kurt and Tessa’s house. It was nice to have more photos and art added to the space. With what Kurt had slowly been collecting, combined with Sebastian’s things, it really felt like their perfect home.

They kept the basic furniture at Sebastian’s house, and advertised it as a fully furnished rental. It was off the market within a few weeks, being rented by a young couple who were fresh out of college and ready to put down some roots.

Dan was being prosecuted in both Colorado and New York. The trial was pretty quick in Colorado. They had to wait a few months, but when the trial date finally arrived, Oliver worked his magic. A state appointed defense attorney was no match for a big New York City prosecutor… Not that he stood a chance anyway. 

Tessa was not called to testify. It would be too traumatic, and she would have frozen when speaking, and they feared a setback in her progress. 

Mama J, Alex, Kurt, Sebastian, and two other local men who were at the diner, all testified. It was hard on Kurt to retell what his past was like with Dan. But he looked out to see his loving boyfriend, and several of their friends all there to support him, and it gave him strength. Sebastian marveled at how strong and courageous his boyfriend was. He was the strongest man he had ever met.

In the end, Dan was found guilty. The look on his face was so satisfying to watch. He was a bit taken aback, then angry, then scared. Kurt was ready for him to be out of his life for good, but they weren’t quite there yet. 

“One more trial in New York, Kurt. I promise I’ll do my best to make it have a similar outcome as this one. Either way, you won’t have to worry about him for a long, long time,” Oliver put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder.

Kurt nodded and gave him a small smile, “Thank you, Oliver. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me that you’ve helped us so much.”

“It was my pleasure to help put that asshole away. Plus I got the bonus of seeing my brother and his family,” Oliver winked.

Kurt smiled fully as Sebastian tightened his grip he already had around his waist.

“We’ll see you in New York,” Sebastian smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Oliver nodded and smiled back. It was a kind and understanding smile. It was Kurt’s favorite. He sighed and empathetically said, “I promise it won’t be as bad as you think. Besides, Mom and Dad will instantly fall in love with Kurt and Tessa, just like I did. You can always use them as distraction.” 

Kurt chuckled as Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Or a shield.”

That evening, Kurt, Sebastian, Tessa, and Oliver all headed over to Mama J’s. She had closed the diner to the public that evening, and had all of their friends there to celebrate the perfect verdict and sentencing from earlier in the day. 

She approached Kurt with her arms spread out for a hug. He smiled and shook his head before hugging her, “You are too much, Mama J. You did not need to go through all this trouble.”

“Of course I did. You and Tessa are free now, baby. There’s no greater reason to celebrate than that!”

“It’s people like you that make the world go ‘round, Mama J.”

Kurt was looking around the room at all of these amazing people that had come into his life in the past year. Oliver noticed and looked around too. He approached Kurt, then gestured out toward everyone, “They are pretty amazing, right?”

Kurt sighed, “You have no idea. To be so accepted in a small town like this is pretty amazing. And they all bend over backwards to help in any way they can.”

“They’ve been good for you, just like they were for Seb. I’m glad he’s happy here.” He looked over and smiled at the sight of Sebastian talking to Alex, Tony, and Bobby with Tessa in his lap. “I can see what this place has done for him. I can also see what not being a lawyer in a big city has done for him. You, them, this town...It’s all perfect for him.”

Kurt nodded, “Everyone here loves him. Tessa and I adore him.” He looked back at Oliver, “Is New York going to be an issue?”

Oliver shook his head, “Mom and Dad miss him, whether they will admit it or not. I think his thoughts...his memories...that’s what’s going to be the hardest.”

“And I’m not going to make it much easier. He’ll have to listen to a lot that he doesn’t want to hear again during the next trial.”

“He loves you, Kurt. He’d walk through fire for you. Listening to your testimony will be hard on all of us, but it’d be harder on him to have you do it without him there. When it comes to our parents… You’ll be his saving grace, for sure. It’s bound to be a rough trip all around, but hopefully, you’ll all come back here with the conclusions you want.”

“As long as we come back here, together, I’m sure that will be true.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Comments and Kudos give me motivation!


End file.
